


Where You Come From

by jaygirl987



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Brotherhood, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, I’ll be adding characters as I go, Jae Ha is so ornery, Life adventures, M/M, Mentions of date rape drugs, Oh the shenanigans, Shin-Ah is a pure and precious boy, Underage Drinking, college a/u, fraternity, these guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-04 15:16:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 38,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12773760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaygirl987/pseuds/jaygirl987
Summary: With her father now gone, Yona must face the crazy and chaotic world of college all alone.Well, maybe not entirely alone.The modern college a/u that no one asked for!*1/20/19* — Chapter 2 revised!





	1. Resilient

**Author's Note:**

> The prelude to Inseparably Entwined.  
> This work focuses on how everyone met while taking place in a modern college setting. Any prompts I receive for this a/u will be placed in here, as well.  
> Thank you for reading! I appreciate and am thankful for anyone and everyone who takes the time to read my work.  
> Enjoy!

  Gone.

  Yona sat in the plush leather chair at the shining table of her father’s company’s spacious boardroom, the floor to ceiling windows allowing copious amounts of light to spill across the walls as she recalled hollow memories of she and Soo-Won playing tag amongst its sleek furnishings while waiting for their fathers to finish whatever pressing matters had kept them both late after hours. It had seemed like so very long ago, and yet like only yesterday. Pain laced through her chest as she listlessly stared down at the crisp paper that Joo-Doh had slid to her from across the polished surface, the perfectly typed font staring back at her seeming so foreign in the grand scheme of things.

  Her father was gone and she was all alone. What a terrible mess.

  The thing about messes, though, was that they usually required the presence of someone capable of cleaning them up in order to make them disappear. Normally, it meant that someone would have to get their hands dirty, and Yona had absolutely no experience in that department. Why navigate through the muck and the mire when there were people who were paid to do it for you?

  Her mother had died when she was much younger, the memories shadowed but still present in her mind. The aching hole that had set up residence in her chest had threatened to swallow her whole back then, and Yona had thought that there could be no greater pain in the world than that of a child losing their mother.

  Apparently, the world took sick and great delight in showing her just how wrong she could be.

  Back when her mother had passed on from this life, there had been others there to pick up the shattered pieces and sweep away the debris from the catastrophe for her, holding her hand and guiding her along with nothing short of the choreographed ease that she’d assumed all adults were naturally graced with. Arrangements had been made and schedules had been shuffled seemingly overnight, everything settling back into place with a swiftness that had left her feeling somewhat eerily sick. How was it possible for the world to continue spinning along after such a horrible event? How had they known what needed to be done when Yona was still trying to wrap her small mind around the fact that she’d never hear her mother’s voice again?

  The complication that was her mother’s passing eventually faded away, she and her father’s lives continuing on and taking on its own new routine. The monumental clutter that had once seemed so large and grotesque had been managed and life had moved on.

  She would not be so lucky this time around.

  When her father had first taken ill, he’d sent her off to the finest school in the state, refusing to allow her to hover in the shadows of his sick room and insisting that she begin her studies. Unable to tell him that she had no idea as to what it was that she even wanted to do with her life, Yona had merely accepted his instruction and had allowed him to decide her future for her. Allowing others to guide her was what she was best at, after all, so she’d allowed the chauffeur to drive her over three hours away, and had said nothing as the maid that her father had sent along to unpack her into her own studio apartment got to work. School was to be her main concern right now and she’d accepted it without a fight.

  When her father’s illness had taken a sudden turn for the worse right before spring break, Yona had returned home and had merely stood uselessly off to the side, allowing others to handle that problem, as well. She’d watched from the wings as doctors and nurses tended to his every need, while the staff took care of his every comfort. What could she possibly do that wasn’t already being done, anyway?

  She’d watched with incredibly minimal curiosity as her cousin Soo-Won took over her father’s company for him in his stead; after all, what did an eighteen year old girl know about managing such a gigantic corporation? Hell- she was still having the housekeepers washing and organizing her clothing for her! What little time that hadn’t been consumed with her father’s declining health had been packed with her schoolwork, any spare spot in her schedule immediately filled. She’d been far too busy to see that her cousin had been having papers drawn up, accounts shuffled around and board members casting votes that would ultimately set her future in stone.

  Then, right after her nineteenth birthday, her father had left her all alone.

  When the time came for funeral arrangements to be made according to her father’s will, Yona had folded in on herself and had allowed her father’s staff to take care of that shambled chaos as well. What did she know about cremations and services? Who was she supposed to even call for something like that? In the end, all she’d had to do was get dressed and show up as her father’s ashes were placed into the family mausoleum beside her mother’s and uncle’s.

  Gone. Her entire world had crumbled beneath her feet almost overnight, scattered into the wind and dispersed so quickly that her head was still spinning from it all. Her world ceased to be after only nineteen years on this earth. They’d just celebrated the night before and now he was gone. Ironic. Everything that she’d known was now erased and she was expected to start over without anyone to pick up the disarray this time.

  The worst had been returning home after the funeral, only to find that the staff was gone and a crew of people that she didn’t know had let themselves into the penthouse, sweeping away all of their belongings and rifling through her things with cold indifference. Still in a state of complete shock, she’d been handed a notice that had stated that she was to attend a meeting at her father’s company the very next day and that she could stay at her (now) previous residence only for the night.

  Her stomach had twisted into knots and she’d forced herself to read the paper with uncomprehending eyes, the strangers around her continuing to clear away her entire life while she’d stood frozen to the spot.

  What a mess.

 

 

   

  Now what?

  Yona’s feet felt as if they’d rooted themselves to the ground, the loud noise of the city’s downtown business district fading away into nothing but white noise in the background as her eyes stared down at the black, leather portfolio in her hands. The paperwork nestled snugly inside stated that she had a mere forty-eight hours to collect her things from the now empty penthouse, otherwise they’d be thrown out onto the street. Her hands shook slightly as the weight of her current situation began to slowly permeate her fog of shock, dragging its icy tendrils down her spine as her knees began to buckle. Was there any chance that all of this was just some terrible nightmare?

  It was just too much.

  A man with a sleek smartphone pressed tightly to his ear brushed past her, knocking into her as he conversed loudly with someone on the other end of the line. He didn’t even spare the red headed girl in the designer clothing a backward glance as he continued on, no doubt eager to finish the conversation that he was having in person.

  Busy, busy, busy. The entire world was busy going on about its day while Yona’s shattered around her.

  Yona immediately pressed the folder tightly to her chest, the fog in her vision clearing just enough to allow panic to gnaw along her spine with vicious teeth. She couldn’t breathe. Had the city always been so congested? Had the buildings always been so tall and grey? Her vision began to swim and she forced herself to take an unsteady breath in through her nose before allowing it to tumble out through her trembling lips. The noise that had been tuned out mere moments ago was trickling back in, growing louder and more oppressive with every passing second. She gripped the folder in her arms even tighter, the only thing that she could use to help ground herself for the time being. Should it slip through her fingers, who knew what else would happen? She had to hold onto it even tighter; she couldn’t afford to lose this. The papers inside held the pieces of her life within them (or what little remained). The ink from Soo-Won’s pen probably wasn’t even completely dry, she realized as her eyes continued to stare down at the pavement without really seeing it. The form that he’d just signed stating that she was about as wanted as a cockroach was probably smeared with the black ink that he’d allowed to flow upon the page, signing his name with a calm and cold indifference that she’d never known him to even be capable of.

  He wanted nothing to do with her. He was the only family that she had left and he wanted her wiped out of his presence. She was now the unsightly mess that he wanted cleaned up and the very idea that she was nothing more than a disgusting bug to be crushed had her lungs seizing inside of her chest. No where to go. No one to run to for help. The only thing left to do was to wait for a solution that would never come.

  She didn’t even hear the voice calling her name as she stood there, hyperventilating amongst a sea of suit-clad executives, clutching a file to her chest so tightly, as if she could force it to become one with her body and absorb into her sternum to fill the gaping hole that was trying to swallow her up.

  A large hand landed softly upon the crown of her head, rough palm smoothing her red strands with a familiar tenderness. Yona blinked, turning her head stiffly and slowly to her left, her brain trying its best to reboot as Mundok towered over her.

  The man who had once been in charge of the security of her father’s company continued to stroke her head, his expression pinched ever-so-slightly as he took in her pale face, his good eye flashing down to the leather-bound rectangle wrapped up so protectively in her small arms.

  Yona’s eyes began to fill with tears, the weight of the world finally crashing down upon her as a sob left her, twin trails of heat sliding down her pale cheeks as she allowed Mundok to pull her into his chest tightly, the heart-wrenching wails being wrenched free from her now muffled against his shirt as the world continued to spin around them.

 

 

 

 

  “Are you planning on doing anything productive today, princess?”

  Yona blinked and turned toward the voice, only to scowl at the familiar face grinning down at her. Ugh. The permanent thorn in her side was awake, it seemed. Why couldn’t he just leave her alone for one day?

  “Shut up, Hak,” she grumbled as she lifted her mug of lukewarm tea up to her lips, her annoyance flaring even more at the dark haired man’s chuckle of amusement over her sour disposition. She hadn’t slept well in almost two weeks and she was sure that she’d looked better, but her appearance was the least of worries at the moment. Right now, she had a mess to try and sort out and she had no idea where to even start. Ugh.

  She’d managed to scrape through the rest of her semester at the fancy college thatshe’d been sent to, but her efforts had felt as if they’d been in vain. Passing all of her finals had felt like nothing more than a hollow victory. What was even the point? She had no idea what she was going to do and with only one year of general education courses under her belt, what was next? Mundok had offered to allow her to spend her summer at his home and she’d gratefully accepted before packing up her apartment (a monumentous task that she would like to never have to repeat if she could) and making the journey back.

  Hak had bugged her relentlessly and she’d had PTSD of her childhood days almost immediately. She’d forgotten about him almost entirely during the entire ordeal and the thought of having to put up with him all summer while trying to piece together her unknown future had left her feeling nauseated. Where did she go from here?

  She’d had her epiphany only three sleepless nights ago: she wanted to help others. The overwhelming grief that she’d been subjected to had been nothing short of completely and utterly soul crushing, and she didn’t want anyone else to ever have to suffer all alone like that ever again. She wanted to be someone that could help strengthen others during times of crisis; she wanted to be what she’d needed over a month ago.She would do it. She would become someone that people could depend upon in times of distress and overwhelming sadness.

  She wanted to be a grief counselor.

  Having a plan for the first time in her life should have felt empowering and invigorating; instead, it felt like someone had chained her up. That all-encompassing paralysis of fear had gripped her again and she’d spent the last three nights researching what she needed to do. Some would call it stalling, but she liked to think of it as being thorough.

  Well, today she would actually get started. She would start the journey.

  If only she would be left alone to do it.

  Hak set his cup of coffee down upon the worn kitchen table and planted himself in the seat across from her, choosing to ignore her scrunched up nose at his presence. He could have mercy on her and leave her alone while she sorted through whatever it was that she was looking at on his grandfather’s laptop, but ultimately, he decided instead to kick his socked feet up onto the surface right next to the computer, crossing one ankle over the other lazily as he settled himself more comfortably into the wooden chair.

  Hak hid his grin behind the rim of his mug as Yona sighed heavily at his actions, her scowl deepening as she flickered her sour gaze in his direction. What could he say? Baiting her was his hobby and he was bored. “What,” he inquired mildly while mirth danced gleefully in his gaze. “Not enough followers on Instagram, or something?”

  She huffed at his question and refused to answer him. Jerking the laptop away from his feet, she stuck her tongue out at him before placing her mug of tea back down onto the table with a tad more force than was necessary.

  He released a small snicker of amusement at her actions. God- she was so easy to rile up.

  One would think that he would’ve had his fill of goading her by now; over the past two weeks he’d been nothing if not relentless, but he just couldn’t seem to get enough of it. He’d continued to tease and poke at her despite his grandfather’s threats and the stuffed pillows that Yona had thrown at him, the fire dancing in her eyes melting away the dull, lifeless sheen that had been present when gramps had first brought her home with him. It had been a vast improvement over her previous state, for sure. Hak could stomach a few more down pillows to the head if it meant that she wouldn’t resemble a life-sized doll anymore. It had been unnerving.

  Hak studied her out of the corner of his eye while pretending to be absorbed in something on his phone. Whatever it was that she was doing had her completely engrossed, her attention so focused upon it that she didn’t even notice Hak’s foot nudging the edge of the laptop to get some sort of response out of her. The minutes passed with her plucking away at the keyboard, Hak sipping away at his coffee while his phone sat idly in his hand.

  Yona muttered something under her breath while her fingers typed away at the keys, her eyes scanning over something on the screen that had her lips pressing together in thought, her shoulders sagging and disposition turning from one of acute annoyance to one of grim acceptance.

  Hak frowned and returned his gaze to the black screen of his phone as Yona fell back against the wooden chair with a graceless thud, an aggravated groan filling the once empty space between them. He took another sip of his coffee before murmuring, “Problem, princess?”

  Yona made to kick at his feet under the table before remembering that they were perched upon the surface instead. She growled at him before slamming the laptop shut. “Only two of my class credits are transferable. So annoying...”

  Unable to afford the prestigious school that she’d been going to, Yona had realized that she was going to have to transfer to a more modest state university if she wanted to continue her education. Mundok had suggested the one that Hak was currently attending and Yona had taken a look at their website to see what all they had to offer.

  She’d kept it a secret from her childhood annoyance. Let that be a nice little surprise for him. Productive, indeed.

  Hak shrugged a shoulder and deposited his phone onto the table. “Just take as many summer courses as you can,” he murmured with a tone of disinterest. He grunted as he lifted his right arm up but suddenly froze mid-stretch. Something just occurred to him that he hadn’t thought to ask. “Wait.”

  Yona suddenly seemed incredibly interested in the ceiling, as well as throughly occupied with adjusting the messy knot of hair on top of her head. She refused to meet his narrowed gaze as he slowly pulled his feet down from the tabletop and leaned forward in his seat.

  “Transferable? Where exactly are you transferring-?”

  “Yona!”

  Yona turned her head and smiled as Tae-Yeon ran into the kitchen, grateful for the distraction as the young boy flung himself at her with the gusto that only a child could muster so early in the morning. Neither seemed to notice Hak’s slight scowl of irritation over Yona’s affection laughter or the young boy’s arms wrapped tightly around her.

  Mundok strolled in after him, a folder embossed with a university name that Hak instantly recognized in one hand, and a box of pastries from the bakery down the street in the other.

  “Wait-“ Hak’s voice wheezed, unnoticed by his grandfather.

  “Yona, I took it upon myself to get you a coarse catalogue yesterday,” Mundok explained as he handed the packet to the redheaded girl on his way to the coffee pot. “We still need to figure out your lodgings, but I think that you can handle the rest. If not, Hak will help you.”

  Hak’s wide blue gaze flickered from the back of his grandfather’s head over to Yona’s glittering eyes, the flame of her amusement burning far brighter than his had before. “Wait- _what?!_ ”

 

 

 

 

  The account that her father had set up for her schooling had been the only thing left to her besides what few possessions she’d been allowed to retain. If she was smart with her funds, she would be able to afford a few more years of schooling at the university that she was transferring to, as opposed to the pricey private school that she’d been previously enrolled in. She’d eventually have to get a job, she was sure, but how hard could that be?

  Mundok had insisted that she just focus on her studies for the next semester and not overwhelm herself too much. She’d had a hard time over the past few months and the last thing that she needed was to add more stress.

  She’d agreed and they’d proceeded to sit down together in his office and pour over the documents that had been given to her by Soo-Won’s lawyer. While the man who had taken her in was confident that she would be alright, he’d frowned at the cost of renting an apartment versus staying in a dorm.

  Yona felt her shoulders deflate a little. Money was something that she’d never had to think about much in the past and now it felt as if all it did was occupy her every waking thought. She’d completed a few online courses over the summer to help get her caught up a bit, but she had this overwhelming feeling that she could still do more. The semester was approaching and if they didn’t make some decisions about lodging soon, they were going to run out of options altogether. The university was almost two hours away so there was no way that a daily commute could be even remotely feasible.

  Mundok had allowed the paper that he’d been perusing to float down onto his desk from between his lax fingers with a sigh. His eye fixed on her and he offered her a small smile of reassurance. “I’ll make some calls to the financial aid office and we’ll see where to go from there, okay?”

  Yona nodded.

 

 

 

 

  “A fraternity?”

  Mundok allowed his head to tilt to the side with a small hum, eye closing in thought as he pondered how to form his next words. “Not _exactly_...”

  Yona blinked as her brow furrowed slightly in confusion. What did _that_ mean? While some would agree that she didn’t seem to know much about the world in the grand scheme of things, she understood enough. Was it possible that her temporary guardian/ not guardian was thinking of a _sorority_? The last time she’d checked, those weren’t exactly cheap.

  Mundok leaned back in his squeaky desk chair and allowed his arms to cross lazily over his chest as the muffled noises from the physical training center leaked in through every available crevice and crack in his tiny office. The walls in the small room were covered in plaques and awards, as well as framed newspaper articles containing the names of the people he’d trained as they’d excelled at competitions and recognitions. While the building itself didn’t really look like that much on the outside, the inside was a well-oiled machine that was kept pristine, people coming and going constantly as they used the equipment and trained to better themselves at whatever area they were focusing on.

  When Yona had first stepped inside the building, she’d been overwhelmed by everything that had greeted her. There was so much activity going on that it had been impossible to take everything in at once. Mundok ran a tight ship and had a full staff of several different coaches working under him. Not only did they teach martial arts, but they trained people to become professional boxers, as well.

  It was no wonder that Hak had excelled so much athletically; being raised in an atmosphere such as this, what other options did he have?

  Yona’s fingers tugged at the hem of her designer dress, her actions probably doing more harm than anything to the thin, pale blue chiffon fabric. The summer heat was still clinging to the outskirts of the city and she’d felt it more than ever when she’d entered the building this morning. Apparently, the air conditioning was on the fritz and the repairman hadn’t been by to fix it yet. Mundok had the window in his office open, but it wasn’t doing much good. The backs of Yona’s thighs were sticking to the leather seat uncomfortably and even the pale pink flowers printed upon the fabric of her clothing seemed to wilt.

  Mundok was about to open his mouth to explain himself, when the muffled sounds of arguing reached them both. Yona turned her head towards the door to her left as the older man sat up in his chair. The heated sounds of yelling and shouting that had been dulled by the thick barrier were growing closer, beginning to assault the small space.

  The door suddenly burst open and Yona’s legs peeled away from the surface that they’d been stuck to as she drew her legs up and into herself, an automatic response to the action. The backs of her thighs stung as she lifted her hands up in front of herself in defense as well, releasing a small, startled squeak in surprise as the hard surface of the solid metal door nearly met her face.

  Thank god for Mundok and his (still) lightning quick reflexes. The older man’s strong hand shot out to prevent the potential injury to her nose, his frown deepening even further at the noisy bickering that began to immediately fill the once calm space. His eye flickered over to the voices tumbling into the office after he’d asserted that Yona was okay, and he leaned back in his chair with a quiet calm that would frighten a lesser man.

  “-did it last time! It’s _your_ turn!”

  “Quit being such a baby and just do your _job_!”

  Mundok’s jaw flexed as Han-Dae and Tae-Woo (oblivious to the fact that there was someone seated in the chair behind the door and that they could’ve potentially harmed them with their actions) filled his office with the noise of their arguments, the two teens taking to shoving one another, as well.

  “A _baby_ ,” scowled Tae-Woo as he plucked at the front of his sweat dampened t-shirt, no doubt trying to get any air flow. “What are you, _five_?”

  “Boys,” grit out Mundok, the pronounced vein in his forehead was beginning to throb more and more. Yona hunched her shoulders up and attempted to disappear behind the door to avoid the wrath that was surely coming at any moment. It was like watching the smoke beginning to drift upwards from an impending volcanic eruption.

  “Shut up,” hissed an equally sweat drenched Han-Dae as he shoved at Tae Woo’s shoulder.

  “No, _you_ shut up,” retorted the dark haired boy that Yona thought resembled a young Hak so very much. He nudged his shoulder against Han-Dae’s petulantly.

  “Boys.”

  Yona retreated even further with a wince upon her features. Oh- it was like watching a re-enactment of Mount Vesuvius.

  “ _No_ ,” yelled Han-Dae venomously, gusto picking up as Hak came to stand in the empty hallway behind them lazily, expression almost bored even though he, too, knew what was about to happen to the oblivious boys. “ _You_ shut up!”

  “ **BOYS**!”

  Identical expressions of horror ridden shock graced both teens’s features, their frames tensing up as if they’d only just realized their grave mistake. Two sets of mouths snapped shut as two sets of posture straightened immediately, but it was no use; the damage had been done.

  Mundok sized both boys up slowly, seeming to take a dark delight in their apprehension. A small gleam twinkled in his eye as he studied their tense posture. The old man seemed to get a kick out of still being able to make others squirm every once in awhile and Yona peeked around the door frame silently with morbid curiosity.

  He leaned back in his chair again and nodded his head toward the redheaded girl. “Apologize to Yona-  who you almost knocked unconscious, by the way.”

  Han-Dae’s eyes widened rather comically in horror as he whipped his head around to stare at her, Tae-Woo wincing sheepishly at the floor. Han-Dae bent down closer to her to hurriedly apologize to her, worried that he may have actually caused her bodily harm while Tae-Woo mumbled his apology as well (only to the wall).

  Satisfied with their words and seeming to get a kick out of Yona’s shy insistence that she was fine, despite Han-Dae continuing to fret, Mundok cleared his throat. “Do you boys need something to do, or have you finished washing the windows?”

  Both boys went to open their mouths, to argue that they hadn’t even started their unknown chore, but snapped them shut as Mundok enunciated his next words in a silent command.

  “Inside _and_ out?”

  The teens shook their heads and each muttered out a contrite “no sir,” before being excused in order to perform their punishment. Neither one met Hak’s gaze as they shuffled away.

  Having done that particular chore himself only yesterday, Hak shook his head and huffed out an amused snort before kicking himself away from the wall that he’d been leaning against in order to enter into the space. He craned his head around the door in order to ascertain for himself that Yona was, indeed, alright and then nodded his head at his grandfather. “Repair man called. Said he’ll be here around two.”

  Mundok scowled as his eye flickered to the clock upon the wall. “Wonderful,” he muttered.

  Hak walked a few steps closer and pushed the door shut behind him so that Yona would have more room. His forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat and a few of his raven strands were sticking to its surface. “Think the heat’s making everyone crabby,” he supplied. Yona noticed that the thin fabric of his black, sleeveless shirt was damp and sticking to the now defined muscles of his back, her eyes trailing along the firm line of his spine slowly.

  “Well, nothing we can do about it,” Mundok grunted. “Glad you’re here. What I’m about to say involves you, too.”

  Yona shook herself out of her weird little trance (since when did she care about Hak’s appearance?) at the elder’s words and Hak’s eyebrow arched in curiosity.

 

 

 

 

  The house was still _technically_ on campus, but it was right on the outer edge of it. The better known and much more popular fraternities were a few blocks over, their Greek letters rather large and pronounced from the street.

  Was she even at the right place? Yona frowned slightly before double checking the address that Mundok had scrawled upon the little sticky note for her and realized that this was, indeed, the (kind of) fraternity that she was soon going to be a member of. There wasn’t any signage upon the property listing it as such, and Yona couldn’t help but recall how Mundok had tried to explain the house’s origins.

  It was rather large and very old, Yona noted as she craned her neck back and drank in every slope of the gabled roof. Was that a third floor in the turret?!

  Yona fiddled with her sunglasses and chewed on her bottom lip in thought, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she tried her best to summon her courage and ascend the steep, weather worn and crumbling concrete steps before her.

  “Are you planning on standing out here all day to admire the view or what?”

  Yona’s once troubled expression flattened out into aggravated annoyance almost immediately at Hak’s voice. She sighed, locking eyes with him over her shoulder and brushing her chaotic crimson waves out of the way. “You could’ve said ‘no’ to this, you know.”

  Hak rolled his eyes at her before hitching his backpack higher up on his shoulder. “Yeah, right,” he grumbled before reaching down to pick up his luggage. He came to stand beside her and matched her petulant little frown with an indecipherable expression of his own. Hak threw his head back and sighed rather dramatically before leaning forward, nearly bending in half in order to reach down and drop his forehead against hers.

  Ugh. When had he gotten so much taller than her? “Why are you even here,” she murmured to him.

  “ _Because_ ,” he murmured right back to her, bright blue eyes nearly crystalline in the late morning sun, a stark contrast against the dark strands sweeping across his forehead. “I made a promise, remember?”

  Oh, right. That.

  She blinked, dropping her gaze and swallowing the ashy taste of disappointment that immediately settled on her tongue. Mundok may have pressured him into coming here, but a long ago exchange of words between Hak and her father would haunt them both until the very end of time. Hak’s face was a constant reminder that from the very beginning, his mild ‘friendship’ with her had been honed out of obligation, not out of want or even necessity.

  Hell- he was the only “friend” she had; one who was currently complaining about all of her luggage.

  Yona’s once proud and stubborn stance deflated as she turned her head back towards the old victorian house looming above them, drinking in the sight of peeling paint and what looked to be original windows that were probably extremely drafty. This was her only option and she really couldn’t afford to be picky; guilt-ridden childhood acquaintance or not.

  Hak stooped down to grab her heaviest bag and knocked a large shoulder into hers when she remained frozen. She wrinkled her nose at him before righting her balance, sweeping her palms down the front of her sage green and white striped cotton boutique dress with a small sigh. Hak trudged up the steps ahead of her, his patience apparently having reached its end while Yona grabbed her remaining luggage and followed him.

  He turned around to wait for her at the bottom of the porch, smirking at the way that she struggled with her things (like he could do this in wedges?). He always loved to tease her; calling her a ‘princess’ and quizzing her over how to do everyday household chores before nearly folding in half at her dumbfounded expression. It was something that he delighted in doing frequently and it never ceased to annoy her.

  She was about to open her mouth to offer a smart retort to his silence, when the front door was thrown wide, both of them turning their surprised gazes to the stranger beaming down at them from the doorway.

  The young man was blonde, his smile lighting up his features with an almost contagious energy as he cheered, “You’re here!”

  Yona and Hak exchanged quick, nervous sidelong glances. What exactly had they gotten themselves into at this strange house?


	2. Basic Structure

 

  “Come in! Come in!”

  Yona attempted to quickly swallow her apprehension as Hak gestured grandly for her to go on ahead of him, the irony of him insisting that she go first into the strange new house not lost on her. Hefting up her bags, Yona straightened her shoulders before struggling up the steps, the old wood beneath her brown, wedge ankle boots sagging and groaning in despair.

  The boy continued to smile warmly at her from the doorway, his golden hair about shoulder length and kept out of his face by means of a worn bandana tied around his head. “I’m Zeno! Welcome to Hiryuu House!”

 

 

 

  Based on what she’d seen outside, Yona couldn’t say that she was terribly surprised by the interior of the old home.

  She’d just been hoping for a miracle, she supposed.

  While the house wasn’t in a state of complete decay, it definitely wasn’t in the prime of its life, either. Yona staggered in through the entryway and hissed as she dropped her bags onto the old, wooden floors of the large foyer. Shaking the tingling numbness that had settled into her fingers, she allowed her eyes to roam freely, taking in the mahogany trim work, the rather ornately grand staircase to the left, and also what appeared to be a set of heavy pocket doors to her right that were currently hanging somewhat precariously off of their track.

  Huh.

  Dust motes spun and lingered in the air around her as she tuned out the background noise of Hak and the stranger exchanging pleasantries, the sunlight pouring in through the stained glass windows above the large entryway behind her allowing the beams to stretch across the space. The walls were old plaster, rough and textured beneath her palm as she trailed a hand curiously along the wall next to the swaying pocket door. The doorknobs appeared dirty, but were rather ornate and beautiful once one looked past the grime. Almost every doorway had a different stained glass transom window above it and Yona recalled seeing more boring versions in the old black and white movies her father had been fond of watching. Would there be actual skeletons in these closets? She shuddered to think about the plumbing in this place.

  “-give you guys a tour once you’re all settled,” chirped the boy as he came to stand near Yona, Hak shuffling in close behind her and dropping his own luggage (as well as her heaviest bag, bless him) to the floor with a hefty sigh of relief. “I’m Zeno, by the way! Geez- it’ll be nice having more people here this year!”

  Hak had opened his mouth to inquire a little further into their acquaintance’s casually spoken statement, when a loud and unsettling clanging bang resounded from somewhere in the distance, deeper into the heart of the house.

  “Uh oh,” huffed Zeno before heading quickly towards the chaos. “Sounds like Yoon’s keeping himself busy!”

  Who?

 

 

 

  The kitchen was surprisingly charming. Small, but fairly cozy. White painted cabinets and cupboards reached from the floor all the way up to the ceiling, the ones closer to the top having glass fronts. They were fairly deep, too, by the looks of it. A gas stove was nestled into the far corner, and there was a small window over the apron sink. The fridge was old and was making a funny sound, but it seemed to be operational, at least. The white tiles on the floor were occasionally broken up by small, black square ones-

  That were currently covered in a wide array of cookware, ranging from mismatched pots and pans, to a random skillet with no handle, as well as a few rusty strainers. Every drawer and cabinet appeared to have been emptied recently, if the doors thrown wide were any indication. The round table that was squeezed into the space had four mismatched chairs balanced on its scrubbed and worn surface, and what little counter space remained was covered in bottles of cleaning solutions and products.

  Hak’s large hand had been holding the heavy swinging door open, but he handed the job off to Yona as he stepped into the room, gingerly watching his footing as he approached Zeno, who was crouching down next to another boy.

  “This is insane! How can anyone _live_ like this,” the boy groused from the floor, where he was on his hands and knees as he brushed his sand-colored hair out of his face with the back of his hand. Yona blinked in surprise at the vivid youth etched into his rather beautiful features, tilting her head in wonder as the young boy sat back on his heels and snatched a metal ladle out of Zeno’s hand with a sneer. “This place is _disgusting_ ,” he stated while brandishing the large spoon like a weapon. “I’m gonna be cleaning all night at this rate!”

  Zeno laughed somewhat sheepishly as he watched the boy throw the broken skillet before him into a nearby trash can without looking. “Well, to be honest, I’m not much of a cook...”

  The young kid’s (Yoon, wasn’t it?) flat expression informed the entire party that he was less than surprised as he held up a melted plastic spatula.

  Hak crouched down beside the kid and tapped him on the shoulder, handing him a random measuring cup and offering a small smirk as the boy’s eyes widened in shock, a small yelp of surprise escaping his lips.

  “Who the hell are _you_?!?”

 

 

 

  After a few brief introductions were made, Hak and Zeno finished helping Yoon pick up the mess. The boy threw orders around over his shoulder easily enough, instructing his housemates on where to put what while sorting through the cookware ruthlessly. He scowled at what few pieces remained with nothing short of unimpressed annoyance. 

  “Can’t even make a casserole,” he groused, placing a stopper into one side of the large sink before turning the left knob on the faucet. A horrible groaning sound immediately seemed to shake the very walls around them, and while Hak frowned up at the ceiling in morbid curiosity, Zeno surged forward to turn the knob back to its original place. Yoon’s wide eyes were staring at the walls all around him before settling on Zeno. “How the hell is this place even standing?”

  Zeno laughed with a carefree shrug and Hak dragged a hand down his face in exhaustion, cursing his own existence under his breath while Yona shrunk in the doorway, regret a heavy blanket upon all of them.

 

 

 

  When it had been discovered that they at least possessed non-questionable looking cold water for the time being, Yoon took to heating a pot of it on the gas stove to make due until a plumber was called (he’d grumbled under his breath that even the hottest water might not be enough to scrub away all of the grime). 

  Zeno offered to give them a tour of the house, and both Yona and Hak had exchanged twin sidelong glances of apprehension before following him through the swinging door and out into the dining room, leaving Yoon to his scrubbing in the kitchen.

  The old staircase practically shrieked and moaned beneath their feet as they ascended, with Zeno having to raise his voice in order to be heard as he explained a brief history of the house over his shoulder.

  “The university purchased the rights to the house back in the sixties, when the final brother passed away and handed his rights over to the board.”

  Hak rose a brow at that. “Isn’t that actually a bad thing?”

  Zeno laughed somewhat nervously as they reached the landing, where a large and beautiful picture window showcased the side street. “Well...you _could_ say that...”

  Yona tore her attention away from the empty bird feeder swaying from a low hanging limb of the large tree that grew on the edge of the yard. “Why is that bad?”

  “Well,” Zeno resumed their climb up the second flight of stairs. “When the university or a landlord owns a fraternity, they call the shots and have final say over the funds.”

  “Explains a lot,” grumbled Hak as a particular step wobbled beneath his foot. “Guess we’re gonna have to set up a meeting sometime soon.”

  “I wouldn’t bother,” stated Zeno as they reached the second floor. “I’ve been barking up that tree since Christmas. Oh, by the way- you’ll probably want to go to a laundromat to do your laundry instead of the basement,” he shot them a look before either of them could ask him why. “Trust me.”

 

 

 

  The first door to the right was a small room that held bunk beds, the top one made and the bottom one covered in luggage. 

  “Yoon and I are gonna be roommates,” cheered Zeno enthusiastically and Hak had absolutely no trouble believing that the young boy had no idea what he was in for.

  There was a linen closet that reeked of moth balls and dust next, followed by another bedroom, which had just enough space for two twin beds and a computer desk to be crammed inside, as well as a large window to let a generous amount of light into the space.

  Hak ended up choosing the final bedroom available, which was the second door on the left, right past the only bathroom on the floor. There were also two beds in the space, and one was currently made. There were shelves on the far wall next to the window containing a few random books and knick-knacks, and after depositing his luggage onto the available mattress, Hak noted that the window was above the small roof that covered the back entrance of the house, leading directly into the kitchen.

  “Saved the best room for the best member,” Zeno chirped with a big smile, turning to Yona and motioning for her to follow after him, leaving Hak to unpack. There was one last door at the very end of the hall, and the red glass knob squeaked as Zeno turned it in his grasp.

  Yona blinked at the small staircase that was revealed after the door was opened out into the bright hall, looking dark and ominous in comparison. Yona could feel the color draining from her face as Zeno trudged up ahead of her, his footsteps leaving prints in the dust.

  Seeing as she had no other choice, she followed.

 

 

 

  The room was in the turret, as it turned out.

  Yona sneezed, the dust accumulation somewhat thick and heavy as she wrinkled her nose. Already a step ahead of her, Zeno had gone to the round bay of windows, resting one knee upon the wooden bench that wrapped around the curved wall and heaving open a window with a grunt.“This used to be the servant’s quarters,” he explained with another grunt as he shoved open another window. “Since you’re the only girl, I figured you’d want some privacy, ya know?”

  Yona thanked him in a small voice as she set her bags onto the full-sized mattress, taking a look around the space with an audible gulp as she noticed how many cobwebs covered every corner. How long had this space been unoccupied? Judging by how untouched everything was, she was willing to guess awhile, at least.

  Well, at least is was bright and spacious, she noted with gratitude. There was enough room for her things and quite possible a little more furniture if she needed any. There were beautiful built in cabinets next to the closet, as well as an old steamer trunk shoved into a corner.

  “I’m surprised Yoon didn’t want this space,” commented Yona idly, trying not to let her curiosity bleed into her tone. Her father had taught her early on in life that when one was looking for answers, it was best not to sound eager or particularly interested.

  “Ah, well- he, uh-“

  Uh oh. Yona felt her shoulders tense up as she unzipped her rolling suitcase. What did _that_ mean?

  “This place haunted?”

  Yona gasped and spun around, fighting the urge to throw her shoe at Hak as he stood in the doorway, looking just as bored and indifferent as ever.

  “Don’t be stupid, Hak,” groused Yona as she turned back to her things. “There’s no such thing as ghosts...”

  Hak grinned rather maniacally. “Yeah, everyone says that in the _daylight_...”

  With that, he turned and left, the air heavy and rather ominously silent as Yona felt her thoughts begin to run away from her.

  Before they could get too far, Zeno interjected lightly, “Yoon’s just afraid of being alone- that’s all.”

  Yona frowned softly as Zeno stared at nothing in particular out of one of the windows, a breeze sweeping into the room and ruffling his golden strands. He looked almost sad, she noted. Before she had the chance to think anything else, the far away look in Zeno’s eyes disappeared in a snap, his sunny disposition and cheerful tone returning with vigor as he asked her if she needed help unpacking her things?

 

 

 

  According to the university members that held the rights to Hiryuu house, there would be seven occupants in the house for the year. Hak’s roommate, as it turned out, was out of town visiting friends and wouldn’t be back until next week. The other two occupants would be moving into the residence in just a few days. One of them was in veterinary school, it seemed; he had to wait for his summer job to wrap up before he could head back.

  The remaining four killed time waiting for the plumber by occupying themselves cleaning. Having finished with the kitchen in only an hour, Yoon had taken it upon himself to scrub the house from top to bottom, starting in Yona’s room.

  “You’re not gonna be able to sleep until this entire place shines, are you,” teased Hak, not surprised to see the young boy lift his nose into the air somewhat haughtily as he deposited his bucket of cleaning supplies into the middle of the room and got to work.

  “Some of us don’t want to live in a pigsty,” commented Yoon, sharp eyes honing in on the film of grime coating the windows with frightening accuracy.

  “Yoon’s actually a _genius_ ,” stressed Zeno as he handed Yona a dusty wooden hanger from the closet.

  “Ugh- quit telling people that,” the young boy stressed as he dragged a rather rickety looking chair over to the corner so that he could brandish his broom at the collection of cobwebs.

  “But it’s _true_ ,” insisted Zeno. “The Saika Award hasn’t been given to anyone in nearly fifteen years! That’s _huge_!”

  Yona blinked, pausing in her struggle to manhandle her cashmere sweater onto a hanger without stretching the neck out too much. “What’s that?”

  “Is it the award they give to young kids with OCD?”

  Zeno snorted as Yona threw Hak a dirty look across the room, where he was busy going through the contents of the large trunk without a care in the world, which only contained mostly old sheets and a few small cardboard boxes filled with junk, thankfully.

  “ _No_ ,” said Yoon distractedly as he fought to keep his balance on the old chair. “It’s a prestigious award given to those with academic foresight and decent intellect. But don’t worry,” he shot Hak a teasing sidelong glance. “I’ll help you with your homework when I get some free time.”

  Hak grinned, obviously pleased with Yoon’s temperament. Something told Yona that Hak would have no trouble at all fitting in at this place. Her mind began to wander to the other occupants of the old house and whether or not she could say the same for herself. Would they all get along? How would she manage to live in a house with six other boys? Wasn’t there some kind of unwritten rule somewhere stating that this was not only improper, but also dangerous?

  “-won’t be in ‘til next week-“

  Yona shook her head as she placed the hanger onto the old metal pole, turning her focus to the conversation that had managed to happen while she’d been busy musing.

  “Good,” huffed Yoon as he lifted his chair to relocate it to another corner, his broom getting a good workout. “That’ll give me time to clean that room before they get here.”

  “Might wanna pace yourself,” teased Hak as he slammed the lid of the trunk shut at last, finally satisfying his curiosity. “Maybe one of them wants to clean it themselves!”

  “Well- then they should’ve-“ Yoon grunted as he evicted another (hopefully long since dead) spider from its dusty nest. “Moved in sooner!”

 

 

 

  As it turned out, one of the housemates _was_ moving in sooner than expected.

  Not long after Yoon had left the (now clean) empty bedroom next to his, the plumber arrived and Zeno showed the heavyset older man the horrible sound that the kitchen sink made when the hot water was turned on, the plumber’s bushy brows knitting together in horrified concern once Zeno had managed to turn the knob once more with a sheepish laugh. He showed the man to the basement and followed him down into the darkened depths to assist him with the layout.

  Covered in a fine layer of dust herself, Yona had decided to take a break from unpacking so that she could freshen up. Cold water would just have to do, she’d decided as she’d grabbed a fluffy pink towel and a change of clothes on her way back down to the second floor. She’d made a mental note to find curtains and see if Yoon knew anything about hanging them up before heading to the bathroom.

  Hak had poked his head into the kitchen and informed Yoon that he was leaving to pick up dinner for everyone, opting to save money on pizza delivery by taking a trip over to Main Street himself. Yoon had waved him off with gratitude, hefting his large metal bucket over to the sink to dump the filthy contents down the drain. He then tested the temperature of the large pot on the stove and groused with dissatisfaction over the results.

  Exhaustion was already pulling at his limbs, but Yoon would rather eat nails than admit defeat; not when there was still so much to do! Yona’s room, he and Zeno’s room and the kitchen were done, but that was all! He’d managed to locate a relic of a vacuum cleaner while cleaning out the linen closet and would need to figure out if it still worked so that he could focus on the worn out runner in the upstairs hallway. He still needed to scrub down the dingy tile floor in the upstairs bathroom, as well as the nasty looking claw foot tub.

  He shuddered as he considered just how many layers he’d have to work through to get the porcelain to shine. He could hear voices carrying up through the basement door and he’d never felt more sorry for anyone than he did the plumber. The man was listing off things that needed to be done by the sounds of it, and it would probably just be easier for the man to list what didn’t need to be fixed.

  Ugh- what a mess. He was just rinsing out his rag when the sound of a yell met his ears, followed by a feminine cry of surprise from upstairs. What in the world-?

  _**Yona**_!

  Yoon dropped his rag and ran through the dining room to the foyer, taking the old stairs two at a time, unable to grip the bannister due to his still wet hands. Coming to the top of the second floor at last, he practically skidded to a halt and tried to regain his breath while also trying to take in the scene before him.

  The bathroom door was thrown wide, the light spilling across the dusty hall runner and illuminating the fair-skinned stranger crumpled upon the floor, his back pressed against the old plaster behind him and hands covering his nose. There were a few crimson drops on the front of his crisp, white button up shirt, and his face was twisted up into a pained expression.

  Yona knelt beside him, clad in nothing but a pink towel, her hand upon his shoulder as apologies poured from her lips. “-sorry! I’m so sorry! You surprised me-!”

 

 

 

  Kija was not only two days early, but incredibly shy around girls, it seemed. It didn’t help that his first real interaction with one in years had been somewhat unpleasant. Way to go. He hadn’t seen anything except for the pale expanse of her back, but it had been more than enough.

  Head tilted towards the kitchen ceiling, he winced as Yoon poked at the bridge of his nose, instructing the young man to keep his head back while he fetched the ice.

  Yoon rummaged through the contents of the freezer while Yona continued to apologize for the hundredth time. She was dressed (blessedly), messy red waves thrown into a chaotic bun on top of her head, wringing her hands together as she fussed and fretted over his condition.

  “I-I-It’s alright,” Kija mumbled, his cheeks pinking up in a delicate blush. “It was mby faull-“ With his nose pinched he sounded all stuffed up, but the embarrassment over having caught her in a compromising situation still lingered in his tone, as well as his inability to look in her general direction. Had he knocked instead of merely opening the bathroom door, he never would’ve startled her and she never would’ve hit him.

  “I should’ve locked the door,” Yona bemoaned for the tenth time, watching Yoon wrap what had to be an ancient bag of frozen vegetables in a dish towel. “I’m so sorry, Kija-“

  “Yona, enough,” mumbled Yoon as he gingerly removed Kija’s fingers from his nose, instructing him to hold the ice against it instead. “He’ll be _fine_. Nothing seems broken and the bleeding’s already stopped- this is just to keep down any swelling.”

  Yona opened her mouth to protest, but Kija lowered his head, beautiful turquoise eyes finally meeting her face. His blush was still there, but his gaze was kind and earnest, the faint dusting of his embarrassment mostly obscured by the towel. “Seriously, I’m alright.”

  Yona allowed herself a small smile as she nodded, their moment interrupted by the heavy thudding footsteps coming up the basement stairs.

  “-wait to hear from the committee before we do any work,” the plumber paused in the kitchen as he spoke to Zeno, who took the time to shut the door behind him, a worried frown upon his normally happy face. The plumber didn’t look too pleased by what he’d found, either.

  “Wait,” Yoon interjected, coming around the table to stand next to Zeno. “We have to have the committee approve this?!? What about the water? What are we supposed to do in the meantime?”

  The plumber shrugged a shoulder. “Guess you’re just gonna have to live without hot water for a little while longer. Gonna be a big job. Gonna cost a pretty penny, too.”

  “How much,” inquired Yoon, folding his arms over his chest with a deep scowl.

  The plumber handed him the form he’d filled out and Yoon’s eyes grew comically wide at the number scrawled down upon the paper.

  Glancing over his shoulder, Zeno also winced, rubbing at the back of his head and mumbling about the committee, about how they were always stating that the funds were already ‘stretched too tightly.’ The likelihood of them even doing anything about it at all was startlingly low-

  “Oh for God’s sake-“ Everyone turned to watch Kija pull his leather wallet out of his back pocket, slamming it onto the kitchen table one handed and fishing out a shining credit card. “I _refuse_ to live in a house without running water! Do you take Visa?”

 

 

 

  Kija carefully picked the mushrooms off of his slice of pizza before lifting it up to his mouth, grimacing a little at the foreign food before taking a small nibble. He looked genuinely surprised by the taste and happily took a larger bite. His grandmother had never allowed him to have ‘junk food’ before; who knew what he was missing out on?

  Hak reached for the two liter of soda in the center of the table, pushing aside the pizza box a little before nudging at Yona with his elbow. He smirked as he inquired, “We need to get a lock for your room? Don’t need perverts sneaking peeks at you-“

  Kija howled and blubbered in outrage while Yona smacked Hak on the back of the head, soda sloshing around in the opened bottle rather precariously. “Hak, don’t be rude,” she scolded. “Honestly- you’re such a jerk sometimes!”

  Yoon rolled his eyes before calling over to Zeno, who was perched upon the counter by the sink, asking him to throw over the roll of paper towels before they all made a mess of his freshly cleaned kitchen.

  Zeno happily obliged, feet kicking idly from his seat as he smiled at the lively crew seated at the kitchen table, their bickering and teasing filling the space with happy noise, contentment over the company warming him from the inside out.

  It was going to be a fun year for sure.


	3. Try My Best

  First impressions aside, Yona had a sneaking suspicion that Yoon might have some kind of a problem with her and much to her dismay, it was slowly confirmed over the course of her first week in the house.

  It wasn’t that he was outright mean to her per se, but he didn’t exactly go out of his way to be nice to her, either. Whenever she tried to start up a conversation with him, he’d always shrug his shoulder or answer with one word responses, sometimes not at all. He constantly  refused any help that she offered with the household chores and when she’d asked if he knew anything about sewing on a button, he’d grumbled at her to ‘figure it out for herself,’ before stating that ‘that was what YouTube was for.’

  Huh. Well, some people didn’t respond well to change, she told herself over and over again. Maybe he was just under a lot of stress? Being so young and already in college was sure to come with its own unique brand of pressure. 

  When his attitude didn’t seem to improve over the course of the next three weeks, she began to take it rather personally. 

  Yona had wracked her brain and puzzled over the boy’s cold attitude of indifference towards her, wondering how she could go about remedying the situation and pondering her best course of action in possibly confronting him about it. Had she offended him in some way? Had she been rude to him? She hadn’t thought so, but perhaps she’d accidentally stepped on his feelings somehow?

  “He probably just isn’t used to living with a girl,” Hak had commented one night while sprawled out on her bed, having strolled in with the briefest of knocks and not even waiting to be granted entrance. Once again he was toying with her stuffed animals, large hands tugging upon the silk lined ears of her little stuffed bunny rabbit. “Smart people can be awkward about that kinda stuff sometimes.”

  She snatched Mr. Nibbles out of his hands before collapsing down upon her window seat in a huff. “Don’t profile people like that, Hak. It’s not nice.”

  Her childhood companion merely shrugged his shoulders before rolling over onto his side and propping his head up in his hand to look at her, his t-shirt riding up to show a strip of his defined abdominal muscles that came with the territory of studying to be a strength and conditioning coach. “What’s it matter, anyway? Not everyone’s gonna like you, kid...might as well get used to it.” The little bunny that she threw at him hit its intended mark, bouncing off of his forehead and landing upon the mattress beside him with a soft _whump._

  “I _know_ that,” she growled before drawing her legs up and hugging her knees tightly to her chest. Her glower of irritation softened to a pout of thoughtful despondency. “I just want to get along with everyone here, that’s all.”

  Hak sighed and dropped his arm to allow his head down to the soft material of the quilt that blanketed her bed. He hated seeing her like this; she’d gotten enough of this shit in high school due to her father’s social status and it was stupid for it to have somehow followed her here. Yona has always been oblivious to it in the past and it didn’t seem like she’d gotten any better at reading the signs since then.

  Unfortunately, though, there was nothing that he could do for her. This was a battle that only she could fight, and judging by the fire burning in her eyes that always got his blood pumping, she probably didn’t need his assistance. Yona loved a challenge and it looked like she was going to get one.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_“_ I know who she is. I recognize that last name and trust me- there’s nothing worse than a snobby rich kid,” Yoon complained to Zeno the following week, completely unaware that Hak was catching the tail end of their conversation on his way to the laundry room, pausing outside of the doorway upon hearing the conversation. 

  He frowned at the tone of the young kid’s voice, his irritation being poked at the sound of Yoon’s mumbling. 

  “Stupid rich people are all the same...”

  Peeking around the corner, Hak watched Zeno hop down from the dryer and pick up a white laundry basket full of what appeared to be neatly folded medical scrubs. The blonde boy sighed with a small smile as he propped the basket on his hip. “Well, little miss has been nothing but nice to me,” he reached out to pluck a small stray down feather out of Yoon’s hair. “You’d probably like her too if you gave her a chance, Yoon.”

  The chef in training scowled, huffing out an inelegant snort in response as he folded the tan colored pillow case in his hand. “What’s the point? Like she cares about anyone else, anyway...”

  Hak flexed his hand a little and restrained his sudden urge to come strolling into the space, armed with what Han Dae used to call his ‘murder mean mug’ grin plastered onto his lips. Hak wasn’t sure that he agreed with the label, but it always served its purpose in making his Judo opponents look a little shaken when told that they would be facing him.

  Zeno hummed lowly in response, soft with a hint of deeper meaning behind it. His eyes focused a smidge more, regarding Yoon with a contemplating stare that had Hak feeling a little wary. He watched the blonde happy-go-lucky boy take two steps closer to Yoon, the genius finally looking up from his task with a questioning frown.

  Something wasn’t quite right, Hak thought with mild apprehension. Something told him to never mess with the normally sunny occupational therapy student if he could help it, for the tone in Zeno’s voice had taken on a stern edge, a light threat hovering on the outskirts of his words as he spoke. “Yeah, I can’t imagine how it must feel to be judged solely on where you come from... know what I mean?”

  Yoon grimaced slightly at Zeno’s words, brow furrowed as a brief flash of guilt bloomed across his features. He said nothing as Zeno clapped him on the shoulder, offering him a blindingly cheerful smile to help rub a little salt into the wound. 

  Hak retreated back out into the hallway, leaning against old plaster as Zeno’s whistling rounded the corner. 

  The occupational therapy student winked at him and Hak knew in that instant that Yona finally had someone else besides him in her corner, for once.

 

* * *

 

 

 

  Yona sat at the dining room table and groaned as she rubbed at her temples, elbows planted on the large surface, her Foundations of Algebra textbook open before her, surrounded by her scattered notes and previous exams. This sucked. Her poor head was pounding and her level of irritation was only growing with each passing second. None of the jumbled equations in front of her made any sense and she allowed her forehead to thunk against the cool surface as tears of frustration pricked at the corners of her eyes.

  She’d been at this for hours now and the end appeared to be nowhere in sight. The longer that she sat here, the worse her demeanor became. Shame was causing her shoulders to slump even further. Why couldn’t she get this?

  Math was hard. Studying was harder. If she allowed her percentage in class to drop any further, though, even scoring a perfect grade on her final wouldn’t be enough to dig her way out of this academic hole. She snorted at the idea of being able to achieve anything near perfection on her final and fought to shove back the tears fighting to push their way forward. She’d always struggled with this subject, but it looked like it might win the war, at this point. What she needed was a miracle and a spectacular one, too.

  “You missed a step in this expression.”

  Yona startled and gasped as she shot upright, wide eyes blinking up at Yoon, who had come to stand beside her without making so much as a peep. How he’d managed to do so when every single board in the house groaned and creaked without anyone or anything even stepping on them was a mystery, but he’d managed to startle her and had taken it upon himself to pluck one of her most recent assignments up off of the table, glancing over her answers with a slight frown of disapproval.

  She scrunched her face in confusion before asking in a small tone, “Huh?”

  “This answer here,” he instructed, placing the paper in front of her and tapping at the third problem. “You evaluated this term incorrectly, see?”

  Yona blinked at his finger. What? She glanced back up at him, his face painted in an expectant expression while he waited for her answer.

  Her face was beginning to feel warm in her embarrassment and she began to fidget with the hem of her skirt as she tried to find the courage to admit that her stupid brain had absolutely no idea as to what he was truly talking about. Memories of sheepishly stuttering out stammering apologies to all of the expensive tutors her father had hired in her youth began to spill forth, her anxiety heightening as she swallowed thickly. “Um...”

  Instead of chastising or belittling her, however, Yoon simply placed the laundry basket that he’d been balancing upon his hip at the other end of the table and pulled out the chair beside her. He held his hand out for her pencil and leaned in closer to her, the graphite sliding smoothly along the paper as he circled the part of the equation that he was referring to, his tone patient as he opened a dialogue about the general steps used in Order of Operations.

  Yona’s tightly fisted grip in her lap began to lessen as he spoke, the tense muscles in her shoulders beginning to grow a little more lax with each passing second. He explained things so much better than her professor had, or even her high school instructor, for that matter. Her previous tutors could probably learn a thing or two from him, as well.

  Yoon paused often to make sure that she was still following along before continuing, handing her pencil back to her and watching her work the problem out herself before intervening when necessary. Nearly twenty minutes passed by before she knew it and suddenly, the weight that had been pressing in on her before didn’t seem so noticeable anymore.

  Once she’d corrected that assignment, he began to pull her previous ones closer, just to see how far behind she truly was. Yona shrank slightly at the incredulous look in his eyes over the grade she’d gotten in her last test, but sighed with relief when he said nothing. He mumbled something under his breath as he began to sort the jumbled mess into more organized piles, her fingers fiddling with her pencil as she allowed him to clean up her chaos.

   He gave her a flat look at her sheepish laughter over the rather extreme amount of red ink that bled across the paper that was her last test on linear equalities. He muttered something about ‘needing reinforcements,’ but before she could question him, the sound of footsteps on the stairs filled the space with creaks and groans.

   Kija slowly appeared as he descended the noisy flight, polished and pristine as always. He stopped at the sight of both Yoon and Yona sitting at the large table, obviously not having been prepared to have to converse with anyone. A gentle dusting of pink spread along his cheeks as he locked gazes with Yona, beautiful blue eyes dashing off to the side as his hand reached up to run his fingers nervously through his hair.

  “You,” called Yoon by way of greeting, ignoring Kija’s startled squeak as he pointed at him almost demandingly. “Come here.”

  Kija blinked and looked over his shoulder briefly before gesturing to himself. “W-Who- me?”

  “Duh,” replied Yoon with a roll of his eyes, pushing his chair back and away from the table as he stood. “C’mere and help with this. I gotta presoak this stuff before it settles into the fabric.”

  Kija’s somewhat shell-shocked expression was actually somewhat adorable as he wrung out his hands, mouth opening and closing as his eyes flashed from Yona back to Yoon again, nervously watching the young boy haul his laundry basket back up into his arms. “B-But I-“

  “Relax,” Yoon called over his shoulder as he headed down the small hallway in between the stairs and the entrance to the kitchen, heading towards the laundry room. “It’s linear equalities! Child’s play for you!”

  “But-!” Kija gulped as his wide-eyed stare slowly returned to her, looking every bit as much a deer in the headlights. He closed his mouth and fought to find some place to allow his eyes to land, expression flighty as he shifted his weight from foot to foot.

  Yona could hear the sounds of the squeaky faucets of the utility sink being cranked as Yoon began to scrub the stains out of his culinary school uniform, her eyes lifting up to Kija’s disgruntled face at last as he avoided her gaze and continued to fidget.

  Her brow furrowed slightly in dejection as silence continued to stretch between them. She’d already been in the house for nearly a month, yet the only housemate who didn’t seem the least bit bothered by her presence was Zeno. The current situation was the most that Yoon had ever spoken to her, Hak didn’t count and Kija had gone out of his way to avoid her. She had yet to meet Shin-Ah or even capture a glimpse the mysterious yet well known Jae-Ha, but if they were anything like the other residents of the house, she didn’t exactly have high hopes. 

  Yona slumped in her chair, defeated and exhausted. Maybe it was time to throw in the towel and just accept the fact that maybe not everyone made lifelong friends (or any, for that matter) in college.

  “C-can I help you with your work?”

  Yona blinked at the soft tone, eyes pulsing slightly wider at the pale fingers landing upon the back of Yoon’s empty chair. Kija paused shyly, hovering while waiting for her reply. 

  Yona smiled and nodded before offering him her gratitude, her heart melting at the adorable blush that practically glowed upon his pale cheeks as he took his seat beside her. Maybe it wasn’t her after all? Perhaps she wasn’t the only one who struggled to make friends?

  Kija adjusted the sleeves of his crisp, white button-up dress shirt, the sleeves having been meticulously rolled up to his elbows and the front perfectly pressed. His left hand reached for her quiz while his right one picked up one of her spare pencils, tapping the purple eraser end against the table top as his deep blue eyes darted around the red ink with ease.

  He was very handsome, she noted, his skin just as flawless as she remembered, his hair meticulously groomed as well. Yona took in the scent of his cologne with a small inhale, the smell light and airy, like clean laundry drying on a clothesline in the sun. He was very well kept and put together, striking her as the type who organized his wardrobe by season and then color, not that there was anything wrong with that.

  Kija’s brow furrowed slightly in thought as he perused her answers, turning towards her and gently going over her mistakes. “When you multiply by a negative number, the inequality sign changes direction, you see?”

  She didn’t, but was grateful for the help anyway. Yona groaned and took the pencil back from Kija’s gentle grip after he explained what he meant. “How does everyone else seem to get this but me?”

  Kija’s timid smile was soft and reassuring as he watched her concentrate on fixing her previous answers, determination settling into her intense gaze. “Well, Yoon’s pretty smart and I’m majoring in mathematics.”

  “You are? Really?” Yona turned her head to regard him with admiration and smiled softly at his fidgeting fingers over their close proximity. “For what career?”

  “U-Uh, um- a systems developer,” he stuttered out at long last, obviously not used to having that type of reaction over his career choice. Most people just squinted at him in confusion before asking him if he was serious?

  Yona tilted her head slightly before asking, “What’s that?”

  Kija cleared his throat and fixed his gaze back onto her paper, prompting her to redirect her attention and continue her work once more. It would be easier for him to converse with her if she didn’t stare at him. “Well, I, uh, write code for software...that sorta thing...” He rolled his eyes up to the ceiling at how lame he sounded, understanding now why his grandmother insisted that he’d never meet anyone if he didn’t learn how to shut his mouth when the occasion called for it. 

  “That’s really cool,” Yona praised, watching Kija’s eyes widen over the genuine interest in her tone, her eyes returning to her paper to scan her work before handing it over for him to check. “I bet you’ll create some really great things, Kija.”

  Yoon returned a few moments later, asking Kija if he was feeling alright because his face looked really flushed?

  Kija squawked at the younger boy to leave him alone and batted his hands as Yoon tried to check his temperature, Yona giggling over their antics. The young genius demanded that Kija hold still while Hak watched from the shadowed kitchen doorway behind them, smiling to himself as he tossed his apple lightly in the air, catching the red fruit in his hand with ease before biting into it.


	4. Beautiful Stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> youseimanami said: Congratulations for your 100 followers! YOU'RE AMAZING! I'd like to ask for a prompt with (ah, it's not a surprise) Jae-Ha, I'd love to read more about your modern AU, but anything would be great with him. Maybe a Yona POV of the first chapter? Also, I'd like to know who else lives in that flat. Where are the others, what are they doing? (omg, modern au Kija and Shin-ah hnnnnnn) Thank you for creating! ❤

   “What’s Jae Ha like?” asked Yona one morning while watching Yoon flip a pancake over in the frying pan on the stovetop. Watching the young boy (or anyone, for that matter) cook was really fascinating to her, having never really witnessed such a thing before. “What does he do?”

  Yoon wrinkled his nose a little while depositing the fluffy cake onto the stack, the plate piled high with the tasty hot cakes and still steaming. “He’s a bartender and a lecherous pervert, to be honest...”

  Yona’s eyes widened as Zeno laughed from the kitchen table, his fingers pulling his golden strands up into a ponytail in preparation for class later that morning. 

  “Yoon, don’t scare the little miss,” Zeno chuckled as he finished wrapping the elastic tie around his finished work. His chair scraped against the hardwood floor as he pushed himself back and away from the table. “Jae Ha’s studying to be an architect, but he bartends most evenings and on the weekends.” 

  Yona nodded her head a little in understanding as she continued to prop her hip against the counter next to the stove, watching Yoon spoon another ladle full of batter into the pan with precision that had to come from experience. “Oh...why does Yoon think he’s a pervert, then?”

  “Who’s a pervert?”

  Hak scrubbed a hand through his hair as he trudged slowly into the kitchen, still fighting to clear the fog of sleep from his mind as he made his way over to the coffee pot. He accepted the empty coffee mug that Zeno handed him with a grunted thanks.

  “Jae Ha,” stated Yoon rather firmly, flipping the pancake and filling the room with a sizzling sound. “She’ll see what I mean when she meets him.”

  Hak arched a brow as Yona seated herself at the table, shaking her head and lifting her mug of tea up to her lips. 

  Zeno laughed as he stood and opened the fridge, pulling out the carton of orange juice and taking it over to the table. “Now, Yoon...big brother might be popular with the ladies, but that doesn’t make him a pervert! He’s a decent guy, right Hak?”

  Hak set down the spoon that he’d been using to stir his coffee with, having dumped his normal amount of sugar into its blackened depths. “How should I know,” he inquired as he turned to face his housemates, the small of his back pressing into the edge of the counter. “I haven’t even seen the guy yet.”

  Three sets of eyes stared at him: Yoon in exasperated disbelief, Yona in stunned shock and Zeno in blank acceptance.

  “But,” Yona murmured as Yoon placed the last pancake onto the stack. “We’ve been here almost five weeks!”

  Yoon carried the plate over to the table as Zeno took his seat again, slapping the occupational therapist’s hand away from the still steaming pile before turning around to fetch the appropriate tableware out of the cabinet next to the sink. “And?”

  Yona’s brow furrowed, lips parting to question as to why this was considered normal, when Kija shuffled in, eyes bloodshot and hair disheveled while squinting against the  sunlight streaming in through the windows.

  “Good morning, Kija,” greeted Zeno brightly as the fair haired man pressed the back of his hand against his mouth to stifle his large yawn. “Up late again?” 

  He grumbled something incoherent, something about ‘getting a head start on midterms’ as he poured himself a rather large mug of caffeine, Hak’s brow nearly rising to his hairline at the sheer amount. He fetched the milk from the fridge as Hak finally made his way over to the table as well, taking a seat next to Yona and snagging a pancake before Yoon could stop him. 

  The fair-haired mathematician set the spoon back onto the counter, turning around to head back up the stairs towards his room. 

  “Aren’t you going to eat anything, Kija,” asked Yona as Yoon set the syrup onto the tabletop. 

  “Don’t bother,” Yoon grumbled as the noisy stairs screeched beneath Kija’s feet as he climbed. “Guy won’t wake up until he has his coffee.”

  Zeno smiled around a massive mouthful of pancake, moaning out his praise through stuffed cheeks to Yoon as he cut another sizeable piece with his fork.

  Hak smiled softly as Yona laughed, Yoon barking out an order at the blonde to ‘stop acting like an animal and to chew his food!’

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  It was later that night, the full moon having risen high up into the sky and beaming its pale light through the trees, casting shadows all throughout the house when Hak finally allowed himself to head off to bed. All was silent and still, the house’s occupants having retreated to their rooms a few hours prior, their schedules for the week ahead hectic and filled to the brim with academic obligations.

  Hak’s schedule was no exception that week, either. After finishing up any remaining homework, he’d double checked his itinerary for the following day before heading upstairs to his room for the night. He had an early session with his judo sensei in the morning, followed by classes until the afternoon, rounding out his evening with a shift at the training center, where it was his turn to make sure that all of the equipment was being properly maintained.

  While pulling his faded grey t-shirt down over his abdomen, he’d frowned at the made bed across the room from him and wondered about his new roommate and whether or not he was ever going to meet the guy, let alone get a good look at his face. Both Yoon and Zeno’s words echoed around in his head and he frowned, hoping that he didn’t have to protect Yona from some nasty deviant on top of everything else.

  Deciding that he had more important things to concern himself with for the time being, he shrugged his shoulders before settling himself between his sheets. He’d assess whatever situation would arise when the time came. No use stressing over anything now.

  His head hit the pillow and sleep consumed him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  Nearly an hour later, the window beside Hak’s bed slid open slowly, the faint hissing sound of the wooden frame being lifted nearly carried away by the breeze as an arm began to pull a figure in through the opening. A lean torso followed and the person stealthily planted their feet onto the floor beneath the ledge, mindful of every creak and groan of the floorboards as they slunk into the room with all of the grace of-

  The breath was knocked out of them as their face hit the floor, tackled by Hak’s muscular and pajama-clad frame as he wrestled the intruder into a flawless kata juju jime that would have surely made his sensei, Guen Tae, beam with pride. Hak crossed his wrists and pressed them against the juncture of the stranger’s throat while he sat upon their hips to keep their lower half restrained.

  “Well, well,” coughed a rather playful male tone up at him through the darkness, the upper half of their face encased in shadow while their grimacing mouth canted up slightly in the light of the moon, voice strained from the press of Hak’s wrists against their windpipe. “Isn’t this an unexpected surprise?”

  Hak sneered and pressed against the rumbling throat a tad tighter in an effort to shut him up, but it wasn’t working.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure, sir?”

  “Who the fuck are you?” Hak demanded, voice low and still thick with sleep as he continued to straddle his opponent against the carpet, muscles in his arms and legs flexing in the moonlight as the perpetrator struggled against him once more.

  Hak caught the sight of a glinting smirk before the smooth tone of the voice purred, “Oh, I don’t think so.”

  Before he could tense up to stop it, one leg wormed its way in between their bodies, a foot planting itself firmly against Hak’s lower abdomen as two hands fisted themselves in his t-shirt, yanking him forward and up over the mysterious opponent’s head in a wide arc, Hak landing on his back with a whoosh as the breath was temporarily knocked out of him, eyes blinking up at the ceiling as he tried to re-orient himself. Well, he hadn’t seen _that_ coming.

  A weight was settled against his pelvis as the perpetrator seated himself in his lap, hands wrapping around Hak’s wrists with surprising strength and pinning the dark haired man’s hands over his head with a chuckle.

  The person’s face was still half shrouded in darkness as Hak fought beneath him, that infuriating smirk glinting at him once more, only this time from above as he stated, “I’m afraid you don’t get that kind of info without dinner and a drink first.”

  Hak’s never wanted to spit in someone’s face so badly before.

  “What’s going on?”

  The door was suddenly pushed open wide, light from the hallway spilling across the carpet and hitting both men straight in the eyes as they whipped their heads towards the intrusion, the boys squinting against the brightness as Yoon’s back-lit silhouette covered the frame. The overhead light was then switched on to further reveal the young genius standing in the doorway, hair lightly tousled from sleep, face stern and ready to dole out a nagging speech about how important a full night’s rest was, when he stopped short as his gaze settled upon the tall man pinning a squirming Hak to the ground.

  Zeno and Yona skidding to a halt behind him to see what the commotion was and stared at the pair as Yoon’s expression fell flat, his tone laced with disinterest as he turned on his heel and stated, “ ‘M goin’ back to bed...”

  Zeno stepped back to allow Yoon to pass by him, while Yona’s hand leaned against the doorframe, her other rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she whined, “Hak- isn’t it a little late to be practicing judo?”

  Crystal blue eyes squinted at her as Hak grit his teeth and silently threatened retribution for all parties involved, his eyes flashing up to the man who had gone suddenly still above him. Hak took in the stranger’s features as his grip grew more lax. The guy continued to stare at Yona with wide indigo colored eyes.

  His surprise didn’t seem to last too long. One hand removed itself from Hak’s wrist in order to waggle his fingers at Yona, a smile alighting his mischievous features as he smoothly introduced himself. “Well, hello, miss! You must be the new member! I don’t think we’ve met! I’m Jae HAAAA-!”

  Seizing the man’s momentary lapse of concentration, Hak bucked his hips and unsettled him, wrapping his legs around Jae Ha’s lean waist and using his leg muscles to twist them both over to the side before rolling him over onto his back again in one smooth motion.

  “My, my,” Jae Ha purred with barely contained amusement, smirking up at Hak. “You sure do know how to show a guy a good time.”

  Hak’s features were ablaze as he snarled down at Jae Ha’s amused expression, “Can’t believe I have to share a room with this sick fuck...”

  “Now, now,” teased Jae Ha, that smirk only going so far as to poke at Hak’s temper even further. “Language...and besides,” he blew his ash brown colored bangs out of his face. “It’s wrong to judge someone like that before you get to know them.”

  Zeno laughed, “He’s right, you know!”

  Yona blinked before offering a small shake of her head. “Well, I have class in the morning, so would you guys mind keeping it down?” She turned to head back to her room, but paused as she remembered her manners, just long enough to call out, “I’m Yona! It was nice to meet you, Jae Ha!”

  Jae Ha smiled and waved, “You too, Yona!”

  Hak leaned down with a growl, his breath hot as it ghosted across Jae Ha’s skin, his voice dangerous and low as he threatened against the shell of his ear, “Don’t even think about it, you perv.”

  Jae Ha grinned broadly as Hak finally released him, lacing his hands together and resting them behind his head as he crossed one ankle over the other, jewel-toned eyes watching his new room mate distance himself. “Well, I guess it’s true what they say...” he returned his gaze to the ceiling as he felt Hak glare at him over his shoulder. “The pretty ones usually are the jealous types.”

 


	5. Wholesome

  The house certainly was lively.

  Understatement of the century. Whenever Yona felt herself finally adjusting to her new life in the fraternity, something happened that would shift her reality on its axis, adding a new person into the mix, as well as their loud personality or quirky tendencies.

  She didn’t mind; actually, having grown up mostly alone in the top floor of her father’s penthouse condo, the noise and chaos were almost a relief, like turning the sound back on after having the tv on mute for awhile. It was nice to be surrounded by so many people after having gone so long without anyone to interact with. The energy was refreshing, to say the least.

  During all of the shuffling and attempted organization of the glorious mess that was her new home, though, she’d nearly forgotten the fact that there was still one more brother that had yet to make an appearance.

  She’d heard about Shin-Ah, the quiet veterinary student who spent most of his time in clinic while also volunteering at a local animal shelter on the weekends, where he walked the dogs and played with the cats that were up for adoption, but she’d yet to actually catch a glimpse of him, let alone have a conversation or the opportunity to introduce herself. She knew nothing else about him other than his crazy schedule. She had no clues as to his temperament, his likes or any personality traits whatsoever. It should have been alarming, but instead it had turned into a fun little mystery.

  She couldn’t wait to meet him. Was he outgoing and flirty like Jae Ha? Would he tease her like Hak? Was he as easy going and laid back as Zeno? Did he tend to resemble Yoon, who could pretty much master any task with relative ease? Perhaps he was more of a scholar, like Kija? She’d wondered what he was like all week, had found herself thinking about her mysterious housemate while out and about on campus, seeing random strangers walking by her on her way home and wondering if they might be him, pondering over the serendipity of it as she headed home from her last afternoon class one Friday, walking up the front steps to the house and questioning as to whether or not-

  “What the hell _is_ that?!”

  Yona paused in the threshold, one hand still on the knob, the other pulling her key from the lock as she blinked at the sound of the screeching voice, followed by scuffles and thuds from above her head. Worry gripped her heart, her chest still aching over the fresh wound from her father’s surprise departure from this world, she immediately recognized the frantic voice as Kija’s and dropped her bags to hurry over to the stairs.

  Rounding the landing, she panted for breath as she joined Yoon and Jae Ha outside of the mathematician’s room, the young man a pale blur as he scampered across his bed and took shelter behind Zeno in the corner near the door, the blonde haired boy having braved the depths of the scene fearlessly in his curiosity.

  “What’s going on?” Yona asked her childhood friend, Hak, who looked nothing but amused by the whole situation, arms crossed over his sculpted chest and stance rather lazy as he leaned back against the bedroom wall beside Zeno and proceeded to watch the programmer lose his composure.

  “What’s going on? What’s going _on_? I’ll _tell_ you what’s going on!” shouted Kija angrily, his voice rising in pitch as his hand shot out from behind the occupational therapist’s back to point across the room and howl, “He’s done it again!”

  Who’d done what? Yona’s brow furrowed as she pushed the door wider and peered around the frame, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of the unfamiliar young boy seated cross legged upon his mattress without a sound, head downcast and eyes focused intently upon his lap. His shoulders hunched up ever so slightly in guilt as Yoon shouldered his way past everyone, voice calm and only mildly put-out as he approached the edge of the bed with slight caution.

  “Alright Shin-Ah,” coaxed Yoon with a heavy sigh as he crouched down. “What is it this time?”

  Golden eyes lifted to regard the boy and Yona caught her breath at the sight of them, such a unique shade resting just below short, sand colored strands, his eyes so very beautiful as he tilted his head back in order to give Yoon a slightly sheepish look, shoulders hunching somewhat defensively at how closely the younger boy was hovering near him.

  A strange little squeak reached everyone’s ears, the room growing deathly still. Kija whimpered and Hak leaned forward in both curiosity and concern, holding his arm out in front of Yona to stop her from getting any closer in case it turned out to be something poisonous. Jae Ha’s chest pressed into her back, his larger hand landing upon her shoulder as he, too, craned his head around the door in order to see just what it was that had reduced Kija to a trembling mess.

  A furry little head popped up from beneath Shin-Ah’s fingers and Yona couldn’t hold back the cooing sound that escaped her lips at the little creature’s fluffy tail, twitching and swaying behind it as it ventured out from its protective little home in Shin-Ah’s lap.

  It was a squirrel.

  Yona pushed against Hak’s arm and made her way closer to the bed, kneeling at the foot of it and resting her arms upon the mattress, her chin atop her hands as she watched the small animal accept a walnut from the silent boy and begin gnawing upon it with vigor.

  “Shin-Ah,” Yoon started, tone gentle but firm at the same time. “We’ve talked about this, okay? You can’t bring home wild animals.”

  Shin-Ah blinked at him before settling his gaze back to his little companion. His fingers gently brushed against one of the squirrel’s back legs, his voice quiet but imploring as he murmured, “But...he was dying...”

  “Thing looks pretty alive to me,” argued Kija petulantly, who had regained some of his composure now that he knew that the mysterious creature wasn’t something that was capable of laying eggs in his ear while he slept. He busied himself with righting his slightly mussed clothing as he asked, “So, maybe you ought to release it back into the wild, yeah?”

  Yona noticed how incredibly gentle the boy was as he stroked along the little squirrel’s back left leg, which, if she looked more closely at it, appeared to have some type of slight deformity to it.

  Shin-Ah’s softly spoken words tugged at her heartstrings as he mumbled, “He won’t survive on his own.”

  Yoon sighed and deflated at Shin-Ah’s statement, standing upright and tipping his head back towards the ceiling, eyes closed in defeat as he sighed, “Yeah, okay...”

  Yona held out her hand to the fluffy thing and giggled softly at the tickling sensation that rippled across her skin as it sniffed at her flesh tentatively. “It’s so cute,” she cooed appreciatively as it deemed her worthy of its affections, rubbing itself against her fingers like it was starved for attention. “Does he have a name?”

  Her eyes lifted back up to Shin-Ah’s, their gazes locking as she smiled brightly at his awe-struck face, his head finally nodding stiffly in answer.

  “You named it?” Kija groaned, falling onto his own bed somewhat dramatically. “We _talked_ about this!

  Zeno attempted to pacify Kija as Yoon insisted that they all stop making so much noise, stating that he was getting a headache from all of their shenanigans.

  Jae Ha sat upon the edge of the bed beside Yona and chuckled, “There there, Kija. The thing seems harmless enough...” he extended out his own fingers and lightly stroked them along the tiny animal’s head. “Does it need shots?”

  “The only thing that needs shots around here is _you_ ,” grumbled Hak from his occupied space by the door, his expression souring at the wink that his roommate directed his way. The two presumed to bicker while Kija continued to complain, all of the noise causing Yona to giggle as the squirrel scampered back across the comforter and into its caretaker’s lap.

  “Ao.”

  Yona blinked before lifting her head in order to frown at Shin-Ah questioningly, unsure if she’d heard him correctly, the boy’s soft tone nearly drowned out amongst the chatter swirling about. “What was that, Shin-Ah? Did you say something?”

  His eyes closed as he picked up the little animal, holding him against his chest as his tone, calm and soothing simply stated, “His name...it’s Ao...”

  Yona smiled softly at him as his eyes slowly opened once more, raising them back up to her own somewhat warily. “That’s a nice name,” she murmured, still in awe over the unique shade in his gaze. “It suits him.”


	6. Something to Behold

  “Yona, do you have a-  ugh......?” Hak stumbled after his third step over the threshold to her room, face going slack and brow furrowing as he tried to process exactly what he was seeing before him.

  A semi-circle of his housemates looked up at him from the floor, each turning their gazes towards Hak’s shell-shocked expression as he came to a stop before them. A full minute passed by of silent staring between the parties, Hak trying to get his voice to cooperate while Kija blushed, Yona blinking at him innocently as Shin-Ah returned his gaze back to Ao, the silent young man fishing a few peanuts out of the bag of trail mix before him in order to feed to the ravenous little squirrel in his lap.

  “What did you need, Hak?” Yona asked, the black charcoal face mask smeared all over her features not allowing her expression to change, though by the tone of her voice, she didn’t seem the least bit fazed by what was happening around her. She swiped a few loose strands of hair away from her eyes and continued to blink up at Hak curiously from her seated position upon her floor, crimson waves tied up in a messy bun on top her head to keep the chaotic mass away from the still glistening cream upon her cheeks.

  “What the fuck?” breathed Hak as he watched his childhood friend lean forward in order to finish plastering a layer of the onyx goo onto Shin-Ah’s nose, her voice low and gentle as she asked him if he wanted it anywhere else? Kija’s fingers were lightly touching his own layer of goop, testing to see if it had dried upon the areas where she had placed it, the pale skin of his forehead, nose and chin a stark contrast against the raven colored mask.

  “What?” Yona asked as she set the container down, turning to face the dumbfounded Hak once more. “Wanna join us?”

  “Uh...” Hak took a step back, his face flattening into slight disgust as he watched her wipe the strange looking liquid/semi-liquid still lingering upon her fingers off onto one of her girly make-up wipes before settling herself back against the over-stuffed pillow that was acting as a buffer between her spine and the old plaster wall. “Yeah, no...I’m good...”

  “Yona, dear,” called Jae Ha as he entered, sliding past the still stiff Hak as he sauntered shamelessly into the space, stopping short and blinking at the party of charcoal colored faces with wide indigo colored eyes.

  Hak had only a brief second in which he thought that he wasn’t the only one who considered the scene before them weird, when Jae Ha disappointed him yet again with his cry of shocked outrage. 

  “What?! You bought it and tried it without telling me?” The architect quickly settled himself down in between Yona and Shin-Ah, eager fingers twisting off the lid of the jar, nose sniffing at its contents while Kija asked how much longer the charcoal mask was supposed to stay on?

  What section of the Twilight Zone had Hak stumbled upon? His nose crinkled and eye twitched as he watched Jae Ha apply his own mask, his disbelief finally cracking as he shook his head and began to chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all.

  “Go ahead and laugh,” stated Kija with a defensive huff as Hak nearly doubled over with amusement at how the mathematician’s expression was unable to budge due to the thickness of the constricting mask upon his features. “ _You’ll_ be over there looking like _that_ , while _we’ll_ be over here with smoother-looking skin!”

  Hak wheezed as he stood upright once more, having completely forgotten what he’d come into Yona’s room for in the first place and not caring in the slightest. “You say that now,” he murmured as he wiped at the moisture clinging to the corners of his eyes, turning his back to them as he headed for the door. “But I’m pretty sure that stuff stains your skin... _bad_.”

  Hak grinned deviously as he closed the door behind him, swallowing his bark of laughter at the sounds of Kija’s outcry, the thudding scramble of what had to be Yona and Jae Ha both reaching for her make-up wipes making his shoulders shake with merriment as he headed down the hall and back towards his room to finish his physics assignment.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

  “That man is insufferable,” hissed Kija as he angrily swiped the moist wipe along his skin, praying that he was actually succeeding in removing it from his face. 

  “Oh, Hak’s harmless,” muttered Yona as she leaned forward, pulling another towelette free from its pouch so that she could remove the mask from Shin-Ah’s nose. The vet student merely fed an almond to Ao as Yona worked, allowing her hand (which rested beneath his chin) to tilt his head this way and that while she worked. “He just does that to get a rise out of people...” She smiled at Shin-Ah’s clear skin before tossing the soiled wipe into her garbage can. “See? No harm done!”

  Kija pursed his lips together in a petulant frown as he swallowed down the jealousy licking away at his chest, blue eyes watching Yona continue to fuss over Shin-Ah. “Still...” he muttered rather pathetically, fingertips swiping along his skin to see if he’d successfully removed the film covering his face.

  Yona pulled another white square free from her kit and crawled over to Kija, giving him the same treatment as Shin-Ah and causing a blush to bloom beneath the black mask on his cheeks. He stuttered out a thanks as he averted his gaze, pressing his fisted hands down against his lap tightly while she worked.

  Satisfied at last, she smiled and patted Kija’s head softly before settling back into place, sighing with relief as her spine sunk into the cushion behind her.

  Jae Ha was testing how dry his mask was, having decided to keep it on once he’d read the side-effects on his phone and discovering that skin-staining wasn’t one of them. “Oh, give the man a break, Kija,” he teased, flicking his ponytail over his shoulder. “Hak teases out of love, I assure you.”

  Kija scoffed and Yona giggled, reaching for her wipes so that she could remove her own mask. “Well, if that’s love, then he needs to rethink his priorities,” grumbled the fair-haired coder, watching Ao try to stuff more food into his cheeks greedily. “What’s he even doing here, anyway?”

  Yona winced with slight guilt as she tossed her used wipe into the trash bin. “Well, it’s sorta complicated...”

  Jae Ha arched a brow as much as his mask would allow him, while Shin-Ah tilted his head and Kija leaned closer in interest.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  “You’re so mean, Hak,” whined Jae Ha pitifully some time later as he closed the door to their shared room behind him, the damp washcloth still pressed to his face as he swiped at his freshly washed skin. 

  Hak scoffed from his desk, head bent as he focused on his physics homework. “I dish out only what I can take, perv.”

  Jae Ha smirked before plopping down onto his bed, crossing one ankle over the other and allowing his arms to sprawl up over his head haphazardly. “Well, a true gentleman wouldn’t tease a lady so... might give her the wrong idea, after all.”

  When he didn’t get the response he was looking for, Jae Ha furrowed his brow slightly, wondering if perhaps he’d read the situation incorrectly. Doubtful, seeing as how transparent his roommate seemed to be to everyone but the object of his affections. Tale as old as time, some would say.

  Hak crumpled up the piece of paper that he’d been scrawling notes on and tossed it into the trash can in the corner, making the shot without even so much as a glance. “You plannin’ on harassing me all afternoon?”

  “Hmm?” Jae Ha hummed as a sly grin began to curl up the corners of his lips. Oh, he thought he could try and hide it from him, but the architect knew. “Would you rather I go back to Yona’s room? I suppose I could keep her company... Kija and Shin-Ah both had to leave, you see, and I wouldn’t want her feeling all alone-“

  The pencil Hak had been holding snapped in his fist and Jae Ha smile triumphantly behind him, swallowing his snicker of satisfaction as Hak groused and cursed under his breath. 

  “Listen,” said Jae Ha as he sat up, sitting cross legged upon his bed and leaning back so that his weight rested on his hands behind him. “You should just tell her how you feel-“

  “Tell who about what?” 

  Jae Ha’s face fell into a flat frown, unimpressed with Hak’s poor ability to avoid the subject. “ _Otherwise_ ,” he continued on, ignoring the small warning growl that Hak shot him over his shoulder. “Someone else will take the opportunity that you passed up.”

  One crystal blue eye observed him over a well defined shoulder, the muscles beneath Hak’s shirt flexing slightly with tense agitation. “Oh, is that so?”

  Jae Ha hummed innocently, fingers twirling his long strands absentmindedly around his finger as he stood, intent to head downstairs and good-naturedly pester Yoon a little. “Indeed. After all, you’re not the only one who thinks highly of her, you know.”

  He managed to dodge the broken pencil pieces, as well as the notebook and Hak’s slipper, but only just. 

 


	7. Reckless

 

  There were times when it was easy to forget that Jae Ha was the oldest member in the small fraternity.

  “WHO CHANGED THE WIFI SETTINGS?”

  Yoon’s expression fell into a frown of exhausted exhasperation at the bellow of outrage, steady hands merely tilting the bowl of brownie batter to allow its contents to pour into the greased baking dish before him. Jae Ha snickered beside him and Yoon sighed, listening to the sound of thundering footsteps approach with all of the rumbling tenacity of an incoming storm. The stairs shrieked in protest as someone barreled down them, Jae Ha’s finger swiping along the inside of the empty bowl to taste the thick leftover liquid as Yoon evened out the contents of the pan with a rubber spatula.

  “ _You_.”

  Jae Ha arched a finely sculpted brow as he hummed innocently, offering a simpering smile to Kija as he stomped into the kitchen. “Yes~?”

  Cheeks pink in his anger, Kija’s finger poked and prodded at Jae Ha’s shoulder, growling through clenched teeth as he hissed, “I don’t know how you did it, but change it back, _now_!”

  Yoon sighed heavily, eyes closing and chin dropping to his chest. Couldn’t they give it a rest for just one night? “Can’t you guys go play somewhere else?”

  Kija sputtered and Jae Ha chuckled, continuing to clean out the excess batter from the bowl, licking the gooey confectionary treat from his finger as Kija whined and complained to Yoon, like a child tattling on its sibling to a parent.

  “ **Look** ,” yelled Yoon once his temper finally reached its limit. “I’m not your damn mother, alright? _You_ -“ he smacked Jae Ha on the back of his head. “Fix the damn WiFi password and _you_ -“ he whipped the towel off of his shoulder and snapped it at Kija, whose outcry was met with Jae Ha’s snicker of amusement. “Quit whining like a damn baby! You’re both adults, goddammit!” He then heaved his entire weight against Jae Ha’s back, shoving both men and sending them stumbling out into the dining room. He turned on his heel and threw open the oven door with exaggerated movements, sliding the tray of brownies inside under grumbling and grousings of ‘immature’ and ‘so sick of this drama!’

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  “Wanna play a game?”

  Hak frowned as he packed up his textbooks, finally finished with his homework and looking forward to an evening of absolutely nothing. “Not even a little bit.”

  “You’re no fun,” pouted Jae Ha from his perch on their open window, the late afternoon breeze ruffling through his bangs. 

  “Nope,” agreed Hak as he made to walk past him, opening their door to step out into the hallway, only to nearly run into Yona, who was on her way downstairs as well. 

  “Oh-“ she squeaked in surprise, breathy laughter escaping her as she tried to still her beating heart over having been startled so suddenly. “Hi guys! What are you doing?”

  “Being annoyed,” grumbled Hak as he brushed past her, the floorboards groaning under his feet as he escaped his obnoxious roommate. 

  Yona frowned at him in confusion before turning to regard Jae Ha, who was looking at her with some strange expression upon his features. His smirked, mischievous and playful before beckoning her to step over the threshold. She hadn’t known him that long, but she’d quickly learned through observation that a bored Jae Ha usually led to an ornery Jae Ha and she wasn’t willing to step into that particular funhouse. She politely declined his offer before coming up with some excuse regarding Hak and quickly took off after the tall, dark haired man.

  Jae Ha frowned, pouting slightly as he rested his head back against the window frame.

  No one wanted to play with him, it seemed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  “You _do_ know that I’m studying to be a strength and conditioning coach, right,” grinned Hak in premature triumph, tilting his head back to stare challengingly into Jae Ha’s eyes as the architect stood at the kitchen table, hands planted firmly against the surface. “So, you know that there’s no chance of you winning here, right?” 

  Jae Ha shrugged a shoulder and tilted his head at his roommate. “Well,” he sighed as he brushed his long hair over his shoulder before fastening it in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. “Guess that’ll just make it extra embarrassing for you when I win, won’t it?”

  Hak knew that he shouldn’t take the bait that was being offered to him on a silver platter, but there would be no peace until he played along. 

  Kija had wandered into the kitchen right on the tail end of the two men’s discussion and paused on his way to the fridge in search of a beverage, deciding instead to tentatively approach the table at the tone of Jae Ha’s voice and the atmosphere of the room. “What’s going on?”

  Hak tilted his chin up at Jae Ha while leaning back in his chair, “Pervert here just challenged me to a foot race for some weird reason and he thinks he’ll win.”

  “Why’d he do that?” asked Kija with a furrowed brow.

  Jae Ha slid him a mischievous look while he murmured, “I’m bored...sue me.”

  Kija blinked while Jae Ha grinned, innocent deep blue eyes watching the two men continue to banter and egg each other on, throwing around jabs and what could only be described as ‘trash talk’ before they were interrupted by Zeno, who had walked in with Shin-Ah at all of the commotion that the two men were making.

  “What does the winner get,” the happy-go-lucky young man inquired, rocking back and forth on his heels as Shin-Ah stood off to the side silently. “What are the stakes?”

  “The loser has to do whatever the winner says,” stated Jae Ha as he stood upright, crossing his arms over his chest. “No matter what. Which is probably why Hak doesn’t wanna do it- he _knows_ I’ll win.”

  Hak’s chair suddenly scraped loudly against the floor as he stood, blue eyes blazing and lips stretched in a rather demonic looking grin. “You know what, you droopy-eyed bastard? You’re on!” He jerked his head toward the back door. “You and me, outside, right now. I’ve got plenty of time to kick your ass!”

  Kija’s eyes pulsed wide at the language, his posture nearly snapping as straightened his spine. He called out after the two young men as they headed for the alley out back. “Wait up!”

  Zeno laughed in amusement before choking slightly at the sight of Shin-Ah crossing the threshold as well, the screen door’s hinges squeaking loudly in protest in his wake. “Hey- you too?!”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  All four of them lined up at the end of the alley, Kija rolling the sleeves of his navy blue dress shirt up to his elbows in concentration, having been pulled into the race with minimal teasing from both Hak ands Jae Ha.

  Jae Ha stretched his right leg and rolled his shoulders, confidence oozing from every pore.

  Hak stretched his neck before bouncing on the balls of his feet, shaking out his hands and conditioning his breathing.

  Shin-Ah merely observed the others readying themselves in blissfully innocent curiosity as Zeno stated the rules.

  “Alright, fellas!” Zeno drew a line in the dirt with the heel of his shoe to indicate the finish line and clapped his hands to make sure that he had everyone’s attention before continuing, “The race is as follows: first one around the block wins and the losers have to do what the winner says, no matter what! No shortcuts and no dirty tricks! Any questions?”

  “Just one,” said Jae Ha in a playful tone that foretold of his intentions. “Does first place also come with a box of tissues for the crying losers to share?”

  Kija growled and Hak ignored him, Shin-Ah lining up and getting into position as Zeno laughed and started the countdown.

  “GO!”

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
  Kija panted, doubled over and resting his hands on his knees as his mouth watered and heart pounded in his chest. He hadn’t raced in ages and his heart was reminding him of that as it continued to resound against his ribs to the steady beat of an incoming heart attack. His knees were shaking, but it had been worth it, if not for the look on Jae Ha’s face when he’d passed him as they’d rounded the corner. While Kija hadn’t come in first place, second was just as sweet a victory- even if he felt like throwing up.

  Shin-Ah was leaning against the sturdy pole of the basketball hoop as he fought to regain his composure, eyes closed and a slight grimace upon his face, Zeno clapping him on the back and congratulating him for coming in third place. 

  Hak sauntered over to where Jae Ha kneeled in the grass, hands flat against the cool greenery and fingers digging into the earth in disbelief while fighting to catch his breath. “Well,” he chirped, barely out of breath before dropping down beside his roommate rather smugly, balancing his weight evenly on the balls of his feet as Jae Ha sat back on his haunches with stiff movements. “Looks like someone underestimated not only _me_ , but the rest of his brothers, as well...Last place looks good on you!”

  This couldn’t be happening to him. Jae Ha began to grind his teeth as he dropped his head even further against his chest in defeat, disbelief coating his lean frame as Hak continued to point out the fact that not only did he lose, but he came in dead last, of all things. How could this have happened? _How_? 

  “Might wanna pick up some tissues while you’re out,” teased Hak mercilessly as he stood, turning to head back towards the house, pausing to call out over his shoulder, “You’re gonna hafta run to the drug store, anyway.”

  Jae Ha’s brow furrowed as the ground began to feel as if it were crumpling away beneath him. The terms of the bet suddenly returned and with it, the realization that he was completely at Hak’s mercy. Oh, it didn’t sound good at all...

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  “I hope the guys are hungry,” chirped Yona as she approached the back steps to the house, arms adjusting the bags linked over her elbows. She’d never attempted to cook anything before and she couldn’t wait to help Yoon prepare the pasta dish that he’d been assigned to try his hand at.

  The young boy scowled as he followed close behind her. “There better not be a mess in my kitchen...”

  The two crossed over the threshold and promptly froze in shock, the young boy sputtering and squawking at the mess while Yona gasped loudly at the sight before them, her eyes wide and hand slapping across her gaping mouth. Yoon’s bags dropped to the ground as he slowly and stiffly stepped into the chaos before him, eyes sweeping over every available inch and glazing in a sensory overload. Two of the four young men were in what appeared to be a rather heated discussion, not one of them acknowledging their housemates as they entered.

  “That’s _bullshit_!” roared Jae Ha, completely ignoring Yoon and scowling down at a seated Kija, who continued to merely frown up at him with a glitter of triumph in his eyes. It was the angriest that Yona had ever heard the architect speak, the young man usually so laid back and relaxed when it came to life. “You’re nothing but a _cheater_!”

  Shin-Ah allowed Zeno to scrub the towel through his short hair, pulling away the terry cloth to reveal bright blue strands beneath the dim lighting of the kitchen as he munched on some pretzels, bright eyes watching the two men argue and shout.

  Hak was practically wheezing as he lay sprawled across the kitchen tabletop, the surface littered with empty plastic convenience store bags, boxes of hair dye and a few empty bottles of beer, as well. He sat up and threw his head back towards the ceiling with unrestrained glee, tears trailing down his cheeks as Jae Ha pulled his own towel off of his head angrily, long strands now pigmented a bright green as they brushed against his shoulders. Yona gasped loudly at the sight and Yoon’s mouth dropped open at the rich emerald shade, such a shocking color against his skin.

  Kija shrugged a shoulder at Jae Ha haughtily; well, as haughty as one could be while sporting a thick, bright blue streak in their white-blonde hair. Yona had to admit, though, the color really did enhance his eyes quite well. “First of all, that’s _rich_ coming from you! Second of all, ever hear of a loophole?”

  Jae Ha growled down at him, fingers scrubbing through the damp locks angrily.

  “Hey- it’s not _my_ fault that you didn’t think to challenge the fact that he didn’t specify _how much_ of our hair had to be dyed!” Kija said as he brushed his bangs out of his eyes. “Maybe next time you should think before you act!”

  “And maybe cut your hair, man!” laughed Hak as Jae Ha spewed a rather colorful curse at them both before heading to the fridge for another beer, missing the fist bump exchanged by the two boys as Zeno gathered the (now ruined) bath towels and Yoon perused the hair dye boxes with a deep frown, Yona’s fingers softly stroking Shin-Ah’s newly dyed hair in fascination.

 

 


	8. When My Time Comes Around

 

  “Remember when I’d asked you if you’d gone to the clinic and gotten your flu shot?”

  Kija groaned, rolling over onto his side to face the wall instead of the boy who was too busy nagging him to let him have any rest. “Yoon... _please_...”

  “And you said that you’d ‘get to it?’” Yoon pressed, Kija’s protests falling upon deaf ears. The young boy wrung the excess water out of the washcloth and pressed it against Kija’s flushed neck, frowning at the shivers that wracked his slender frame from beneath his nest of blankets.

  Kija coughed into his comforter and moaned at the aching that seemed to bleed into his every bone, too fatigued to do anything more than argue sourly with the mother hen currently perched upon the edge of his bed. This was horrible. “If you’re just going to bully me, then maybe you should _go_...” It was an empty threat, but he left it hanging in the air all the same.

  Yoon narrowed his eyes at the tone and paused mid-shake of the thermometer, Kija’s last temperature reading still flashing upon the tiny little digital screen. It was still a little high for his liking and he chalked up the attitude to his possible fever delusion. “Well, if that’s what you want, then maybe I _should_...”

  Kija’s gaze was slightly panicked, eyes wide as he opened his mouth to retract his statement, when-

  A knock on the door interrupted him. “Kija,” called out a concerned feminine tone. “How are you feeling?”

  The young man tensed, hunching in on himself for the briefest of moments before scrambling like a madman for his covers. With a feat of strength that left even Yoon blinking in surprise, he hoisted his comforter and blankets high up over his head to encase himself fully in his cocoon just as the young girl pushed the bedroom door open and poked her head inside.

  Yona blinked at the lump on Kija’s bed, Yoon staring dumbfounded at the mass as the floorboards creaked beneath her weight, her footsteps tentative as she attempted to come closer. “Kija? Are you-?”

  “D-Don’t come in here, Yona!” came Kija’s muffled and hoarse cry from beneath the covers. “You’ll get sick if you come any closer!”

  Yoon’s eye twitched before his temper flared at last and he shouted, “Oh, but it’s fine for _me_?!”

 

 

 

 

 

  
  Zeno hauled in the large bag of ice with one hand, the other gripping the plastic bag from the drug store between his fingers, kicking the door shut behind him as he made his way into the kitchen. He could hear Yoon’s voice out on the landing as he pestered a whining Kija, chuckling softly to himself while making a mental note to speak to the young boy about his lack of bedside manner at a later time. While it was true that Kija tended to be a bit dramatic whenever he became ill, it was probably a good thing that Yoon hadn’t gone to medical school like everyone had originally wanted him to. 

  He finished pouring the ice into the tray and closed the freezer before throwing away the empty bag. He fished out the things that Yoon had requested from the white plastic sack and began setting them all onto the table while humming the song that had been stuck in his head since that morning. He was just wondering if they’d be able to get the finicky patient to eat something so that he could take his medicine, when the sound of the front door closing softly captured his attention. Zeno knew almost immediately that it had to be Shin-Ah, for the veterinarian was always so careful whenever he handled doors and windows, soft handed and gentle tempered in everything that he did.

  He knew something was wrong just as he’d finished placing the last box of cold and flu medicine onto the table top, his brow furrowed and mouth set in a grim line as he hurried out of the kitchen and stopped in the doorway, his eyes narrowing as he watched Shin-Ah drop his backpack to the floor with a heavy thud, his footsteps dragging and uncharacteristically loud as he trudged towards the stairs with sluggish movements.

  “Shin-Ah,” called Zeno as he slowly approached, frown deepening as he watched the tall boy pause in his ascent, hand gripping the wooden railing with trembling fingers. “Everything okay?”

  Shin-Ah’s eyes were glazed, his lids heavy as he turned slowly to face Zeno, face pale and voice slightly strained as he murmured softly, “My head hurts.”

 

 

 

  “You two deserve this, you know,” accused Yoon as Shin-Ah sat upon the edge of his bed and allowed Zeno to remove his shoes for him. “I told you guys to go get your flu shots, but did you listen to me?”

  Shin-Ah fell over onto his side and pulled his legs up onto the mattress, eyes closing in heavy exhaustion as Zeno pulled his blankets up over him and tucked them tightly around his shoulders. Ao was perched upon his nightstand, the squirrel’s tiny little hands trying to crack open a walnut as his tail swished and swayed behind him.

  “Nagging won’t change the past, Yoon,” stated Zeno softly, his fingers brushing Shin-Ah’s blue strands out of his face so that he could press his hand to his forehead to gauge his temperature. “Just let’ em rest, okay?”

  “Bunch of idiots,” mumbled Yoon as he stomped to the door with a huff, stating that he’d be in the kitchen making broth if anyone needed him. “I’ll be back to give you guys some meds later, and you’d better eat when I do, alright?” Zeno shook his head softly as the door closed behind the worried young boy and ran his fingers along Ao’s back as the little squirrel settled himself upon the pillow beside Shin-Ah’s head.

  Yoon ran into Yona out in the hallway (who was probably hovering in concern) and barked at her to come and help him in the kitchen, the young girl immediately following him down the stairs in compliance, eager to help in anyway that she could to help make her housemates feel better, the creaking and groaning of the old steps following them in their descent.

  “ _Finally_ ,” moaned Kija as his head emerged from his blanket burrito, his cheeks flushed from his fever and strands tousled. “Felt like I was suffocating in there...”

 

 

 

  “Oh? They’re sick?”

  “Yeah,” grumbled Yoon as he dropped the carrots and stalks of celery into the large pot, Yona standing up on tip-toe beside him to watch the vegetables disappear beneath the surface of the liquid in fascination. “Morons forgot to get their flu shots like I told ‘em to.” He paused suddenly, his sharp eyes flashing as he turned toward Hak, perceptive gaze narrowing in a silent question as he brandished his knife at the tall man in warning.

  Hak held up his hands as he headed for the fridge in search of juice. “Easy, tiger. Don’t harp on me- I got mine last week!”

  Yoon visibly relaxed before turning to Yona, asking her to start adding in the onion and the chicken. “Good to know there’s _some_ responsible people in this house,” grumbled the young boy as his head turned in every direction, searching for the salt and pepper shakers while Zeno sat perched upon the small section of counter top beside the stove, legs swinging idly in the air while he munched on a carrot.

  The back door opened just as Yoon located the spices behind Zeno’s back, four heads turning to take in Jae Ha as he slowly staggered inside, lips parted and a thin sheen of sweat upon his brow, his bangs sticking to his face as he rasped softly that his head was aching and that it was surprisingly cold in the house.

  “Ugh, you’ve gotta be _kidding_ me!” Yoon groaned as Yona hurried forward to press her hand to his forehead with worry.

 

 

  “Yona, sweetheart,” sighed Jae Ha from his bed, his green hair fanned out against his pillow as he blinked up at her blearily through glazed eyes. “Not that I don’t enjoy the company, but you should probably go...You’ll get sick if you stay here.”

  Yona smiled softly at him before flipping the washcloth resting against his forehead over to the cool side. “I got my shot a few weeks ago, so I should be okay,” her tone gentle as she brushed his hair out of his face, watching his eyes close in relief beneath her ministrations. “Besides, no one likes to be alone when they’re sick.”

  Jae Ha’s smile looked slightly strained as she pressed her cool palm into the side of his face, his head leaning into her touch. “I wonder about that...”

  “We can go.”

  Hak was stretched out on his bed across the room, hands behind his head and legs crossed at the ankle as he sat with his back against his headboard, pillows propped up beneath his lower back as he watched Yona care for his roommate. “If he wants to complain about us being here, then let’s just leave.”

  Yona frowned at Hak’s tone. “Don’t be mean, Hak! Jae Ha’s sick!”

  “Yeah, Hak,” croaked Jae Ha pitifully, chuckling slightly with amusement at the dark haired man’s sour frown. “You heard her- I’m _sick_ , so be nice to me.”

  Hak merely scowled, his foot tapping in the air with his irritation. “If anyone should be pitied here, it’s me! I’m the one who’s gonna have to listen to you moaning and groaning all night like some kind of wounded animal.”

  Animal? How dare he? Jae Ha coughed into his hand and swallowed the pained whimper that threatened to escape his throat at the residual burning in his chest from the action. He’d be damned if he made a sound, now; had some pride, after all. “You’re so mean, roomie...” he teased as his eyes closed in defeat. As much as he would’ve like to have kept up their banter, he was just too tired...

  Yona watched Jae Ha’s hands settle against his abdomen, fingers long and lean as they rested against the linen of his sheets. She noticed the leather cuffs still upon his wrists with curiosity, her fingers reaching toward the clasps with the intention of taking them off in order to make him more comfortable-

  His hands gripped her wrists before her fingers could make contact with the soft leather, his eyes slowly opening to see her blinking above him in both surprise and question. He smiled weakly at her once more, his right hand lifting her left one up to his face to press a kiss to her knuckles as he softly asked her if she wouldn’t mind getting him some water?

  “Of course!” Yona exclaimed while standing swiftly, heading to the door with slightly flushed cheeks and failing to notice the stern frown that Hak was sending his roommate from across the room. His eyes narrowed as the door closed softly behind her, watching Jae Ha’s brow furrow slightly as he coughed into his hand once more.

  Silence stretched between them, Jae Ha pretending to rest as Hak began to mull questions over in his mind, wondering as to why the architect wore those bracelets in the first place. They were always present, always upon him no matter what the circumstance. The only time that Hak had ever seen him without them on was when he wore long sleeved shirts that covered the skin.

  “If you want to know, then just ask. I know I’m handsome, and all, but you don’t have to stare.”

  Hak’s expression fell flat, knowing good and well that there must be a catch behind the casually issued statement. Jae Ha never gave anything about himself away willingly, every little tidbit or sensitive piece of information always wrapped up in a riddle that usually required the recipient to either give up or form the wrong conclusions entirely.

  He liked to think that he was a mystery, an enigma, but Hak him pretty well figured out.

  He wasn’t disappointed as Jae Ha rolled over and muttered, “Cost you two dinners and a movie, though.”

 

 

 

  “You should sleep with me.”

  Hak coughed and sputtered, his water spraying everywhere as he hacked and pounded against his chest, crystal blue eyes wide as he wheezed and tried to regain his composure at Yona’s casually spoken statement.

  She blinked at him in surprise, clueless as to why he was making such a fuss over nothing. It wasn’t like they hadn’t shared a bed before!

  “As much as I’d love to help you out, kid,” he croaked, wiping his mouth upon the sleeve of his grey pull-over hooded sweatshirt before attempting to wipe away the moisture from his physics textbook, as well. “You’re not exactly my type.”

  Yona squeaked as her cheeks began to pink at his words, understanding finally dawning upon her as she realized how she must’ve sounded by saying it like that. Yoon rolled his eyes as he stirred the strained and simmering broth on the stove with a large wooden spoon. Those two were so ridiculous sometimes that they deserved their own damn tv show. If not for the fact that he had three giant man babies to tend to, he’d be far more interested in what was going on.

  Yona’s hands went to her hips as she huffed at Hak, who was still trying to dry the pages of his textbook. “Don’t flatter yourself, you jerk! I meant that you should stay with me tonight so that Jae Ha didn’t keep you up with his coughing!”

  He scoffed as he fanned the damp pages before him. “Pass,” mumbled Hak, not even flinching at the roll of paper towels that Yona threw at his head. “You’re a bed hog, anyway.”

  She growled at him with all of the ferocity of a kitten before stomping off towards the living room in a huff. She yelled at him from the other room, stating that she hoped that the gods punished him for his attitude, hoping that he failed his test tomorrow, and that he could forget that she’d even offered!

  Hak ran a hand down his face in frustration as the tone of her voice echoed in his head, her statement repeating on a continuous loop in his frazzled brain, muttering under his breath as Yoon disappeared into the depths of the pantry in search of pasta, “Wish I could.”

 

 

 

  “Thought the offer was off the table,” he stated from his place at the head of the large dining room table, physics notes spread out before him as he tried to make sense of the study guides and having no luck. Damn, she was determined to make him miserable.

  Yona sighed and poked at his shoulder, trying to urge him to turn around and face her but having no luck, either. “Come on, Hak- you need to get a good night’s sleep for your test tomorrow! I saw you in the library studying with Heuk-Chi...”

  Hak lifted an eyebrow at that. Was she spying on him, or something? Yeah- like he could be so lucky. He controlled his features and tried to ignore his pounding heart as he scoffed, “Well, _yeah_ \- he’s my lab partner...kinda hafta study together...” He turned to face her and poked her with the eraser end of his pencil. “‘Sides- since when do you care about my grades?”

  Yona huffed at his teasing, averting her gaze as she mumbled petulantly, “I don’t care...I just don’t want you to fail, okay?”

  Fuck- why did she have to be so damn cute? She was even more adorable when she showed concern for him, which really was rare, now that he thought about it. Hak turned back towards his study guide in an attempt to keep her from seeing the satisfied smile tugging insistently at his mouth, fighting the urge to release a huff of laughter in delight. He had problems.

  He groaned as she poked at his shoulder again, realizing that she wasn’t going to stop until she got her way. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll stay with you tonight, okay? Just let me finish this first.”

  He didn’t know who he was kidding, but it certainly wasn’t himself.

 

 

 

  “I’ll take my chances in my own room.” Hak turned to head back out into the hallway but was stopped by Yona’s hand wrapping around his wrist, her tiny strength attempting to pull him back to her and having absolutely no luck against his muscular frame.

  “Hak,” she whined, lips pouting as his brow twitched at her tone. “Why are you being so weird about this? You don’t have to sleep on the floor- there’s plenty of room in here for you, too!”

  Was she serious? She was serious! Hak growled and fought against every fiber of his being as she pulled back the covers and crawled into bed, urging him to join her amongst her pink sheets and floral quilt, so innocent and completely clueless as to why he was struggling so much with this.

  Ignorance truly was bliss, he supposed as he gave in at last and let her tuck him in beside her, staring up at the ceiling and trying to ignore his pounding little lovesick heart.

  The thing was sad and twisted and really needed to learn when to let go.

 

 

 

  He was considerably bigger than the last time they’d shared a bed, back when they’d both been sick as children, spending the entire day together, miserable, surrounded by her stuffed animals while watching movies and sniffling.

  Yona knew that Hak had grown a considerable amount, far taller than her now than he had been in their youth, but it was something that she hadn’t taken into account before now. His large frame totally dominated her bed, leaving her with no where to escape as he nuzzled his face against the crown of her head and murmured something in his sleep before falling under once more. The scent of him completely surrounded her, filled her senses with nothing but him as she fidgeted with the edge of her quilt and tried to relax.

  This was going to be a long night. Trying to fall asleep was going to be an odyssey, her mind failing to settle as Hak’s chest was pressed snugly against her back, his arm thrown over her waist to prevent her from falling out of bed. She should be grateful for the way that he sought to protect her, even while asleep, but all she could do was feel incredibly nervous and focus on how strangely the day had turned out.

  Although, if she were to be completely honest, it did feel nice to feel so very safe and secure, her muscles relaxing against the heat of Hak’s body as she listened to his deep and even breathing behind her. Where was this when she’d been all alone in her dorm, sobbing into her pillow after her father’s death, having been gifted only a singular box of her mother’s possessions by her father’s (Su-Won’s) cold lawyer to keep her company after the reading of the will stated that she wouldn’t even be allowed to stay in the condo that had been her home her entire life?

  He may not have been physically present in her bed at the time, but Hak had been there through it all, escorting her to the reading of the will as well as her father’s small funeral, his strong arm wrapped around her shoulders as they’d taken the urn that held her father’s ashes from her small fingers and placed them inside of the family mausoleum to rest beside his wife and brother, just as he’d asked.

  He’d taken her back to his grandfather’s home to rest and recuperate without a word, helping her to sort through all of the legalities from Su-Won taking over the company without her having to even ask, never leaving her side during their entire stay in Fuuga, his eyes silent and steadfast as he’d watched her interact with his family, watched her grow a little stronger every day, supported her from afar as she learned how to stand on her own without her father’s empire to back her up.

  Yona rolled over to face him, unable to fully see his features in the darkness of her room. She buried her face into his firm chest and held back a small sigh at the feeling of his arm tightening around her subconsciously, fingers grabbing onto the soft material of his t-shirt to keep him right where he was.

  Hak had always been there for her, she supposed. She just wished that it was out of want instead of necessity.

 

 

 

  That had been the longest night of his life.

  Hak smothered a yawn against his hand and gave his head a small shake as he struggled to stay focused during his exam. How in the hell had she expected him to sleep when she’d been snuggled up against him all night? It had been pure torture, designed to torment him as the hours had ticked slowly by, her small body fitting against his own like a damn glove as she’d clutched the front of his sleep shirt in her tiny little fingers and refused to let him go.

  He’d never forgive Jae Ha for coming down with the flu for as long as he lived.

 

 


	9. Reckless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!!  
> This chapter may contain triggers for some people, so just a heads up that there is reference to date rape drugs and shitty frat boys ahead.  
> You have been warned!!!!

  A pink hairbrush stroked along raven colored tresses, bristles smoothing the long locks into strands of black silk with every pass. A petite hand brushed the mass over a dainty shoulder with the flick of the wrist once her task had been completed.

  Lili turned around to survey her dress over her shoulder, satisfied with her reflection and reaching for her shoes as a knock sounded upon the door of her bedroom. “Come in,” she called out, stepping into her heels and adjusting her earrings as her eyes flashed to the reflection, where Ayura and Tetora stood hovering in her doorway. “Ready?”

  Both ladies nodded, backing up to allow the young girl to head out onto the landing upon the upper floor of the sorority, the women following her down the stairs, their sights set upon the party happening at a fraternity a few blocks over, where they hoped to gather some information and procure answers to the questions as to what had been occurring to students lately.

 

  “There’s a party happening at the fraternity two blocks over,” announced Jae Ha as he stepped into the living room. “Who’s in?”

  Yoon groaned as Hak mumbled, “Pass.” The others were too preoccupied in their activities to answer, but there was only one person that the eldest brother had his eyes upon.

  Jae Ha plopped down beside Hak on the large sectional couch, his roommate slouching against the cushions as he stared rather listlessly at the tv, appearing nearly catatonic in his boredom and not truly paying attention to the program whatsoever.

  Hak shifted his weight and sighed as Jae Ha tilted his head at him, already knowing the man’s question and intervening with a hearty dose of denial once more.

  Jae Ha was determined, however. “Come _on_ , Hak,” he whined slightly, fingers tugging upon the sleeve of his grey t-shirt. “Don’t make me go to Beta Pir all alone!”

  Hak snorted at the familiar name, his disdain for the fraternity written clearly all over his face. “Double pass,” he mumbled, watching Jae Ha tug upon the beanie that he’d put on his head to help hide as much of his green hair as possible out of the corner of his eye. He snorted once more, this time in amusement as he chortled, “You look like a hipster.”

  “And whose fault is that?” Jae Ha sighed dramatically, tilting his head back towards the ceiling before giving it one more try. “Come on, Hak! Thanks to your mean streak, I’m gonna need a wingman tonight! It’s the _least_ you can do!”

  Hak refused to give an inch. “Ask one of the others,” he protested with a vague waving of his hand.

  Jae Ha stared at him. Was he serious? He was serious!

  Both sets of eyes swept around the room, taking in the remaining members of the house in silence, seeing as how Zeno was working thirds at the front desk of the local ER at the moment.

  Kija’s innocent features were rucked up into a grimace of concentration as he sat upon the floor beside Yona, both working to untangle the mess of knots that the young girl had accumulated in her effort to learn how to crochet from a video on the internet. There was crimson yarn everywhere and it was only getting messier with every passing moment.

  Shin-Ah had commandeered the recliner, using the part normally reserved for propping up one’s legs for holding his notes and diagrams of various animal anatomies, his eyes scouring the pages and taking in the necessary data for maximum knowledge intake.

  Yoon was seated at the opposite end of the sectional and was still too young to drink, the boy having almost no interest in such an event where the activity was sure to be the main attraction and only sense of entertainment.

  Jae Ha slowly turned to face Hak once more, having gone full circle, his facial expression indicating the disappointment of their company for his evening’s needs and desires.

  “Looks like you’re going all alone,” murmured Hak as he settled himself more cozily against the cushions. Kija’s family had donated the plushy piece when he’d joined the house and he had to admit: they had some excellent taste in furniture. “Too bad, Captain Planet."

  Jae Ha bristled at the name and Hak smirked, Yoon nearly spitting out his drink at the reference as the architect stood abruptly, adjusting the rolled up sleeves of his black dress shirt before heading to the front of the house. He called out for them not to wait up before the door shut behind him.

  “Maybe you should have gone with him, Hak,” said Yona from her nest of yarn, fingers pulling upon the knots and having little to no success in loosening them.

  “Why?” he groused sourly, the idea of going to one of those parties, let alone at a skeezy sinkhole like Beta Pir, causing his stomach to clench tightly in disgust. He’d seen one of the more prominent brothers eye her from across the quad on more than one occasion, his fist itching to land in the guy’s face if the opportunity should ever present itself.

  Yona seemed to hedge around her words. “Well,” she blew her bangs out of her eyes. “You never seem to have any fun! Maybe you and Jae Ha could relax a little together...?”

  “As Beast Boy’s ‘wingman?’ No thanks...” he leaned forward and reached for his soda resting upon the coffee table. He jerked his head toward the mathematician beside her and said, “Rather let Queen Elsa over there organize my closet.”

  Kija perked at the possibility of getting his hands upon Hak’s messy room, only to frown as the man shot him down almost immediately.

  “I’m just _saying_ ,” interjected Yona once more, not finished with the conversation. “That maybe it would be nice to spend some time with your roommate? Maybe meet some new people? A girl-?”

  “Time for a refill,” Hak stated as he suddenly rose, trudging off to the kitchen without another word.

  Yoon shook his head as he watched Yona’s oblivious eyes return to her work, head bent and unaware of the frown her casually spoken words had placed upon Hak’s lips. “I feel bad for the guy,” he muttered to himself, fingers toying with the strands of his hair absentmindedly.

  Hak stared into the contents of the perfectly organized refrigerator without really seeing any of it. He wasn’t really thirsty, but the idea of having to listen to Yona practically shove him away from her and into the arms of any stranger made his chest ache. His decent mood thoroughly soured, he closed the door and nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of Shin-Ah standing in the space he’d previously assumed to be unoccupied.

  He hadn’t even heard the vet student approaching. Props for his lightness of foot, indeed. “Shin-Ah,” began Hak as he headed towards the pantry in search of a snack while trying to tame his rapid heartbeat. It’d been awhile since he’d been startled. “Either say something or start wearing a bell, because that’s getting old, understood?”

  The silent housemate merely nodded in understanding, continuing to stand still as he watched Hak unwrap a bag of popcorn and place it into the microwave. “Are you and Yona dating?”

  Hak’s outstretched finger froze in midair, just above the start button of the machine, his eyes wide and blinking as he fought against the paralysis temporarily plaguing his brain and vocal chords. “Uh...?”

  “I just always see you looking at her when you think no one’s watching...and I...was just wondering...?”

  Hak gave his head a small shake in an effort to dislodge his frozen mind. “I don’t-?”

  Shin-Ah finally crossed the threshold and walked into the kitchen, heading towards the microwave, his finger pushing the button for Hak before turning to look at him once more, his eyes filled with curiosity as he patiently waited for Hak to answer his question.

  
  “How long have you and Hak known each other, Yona?” Inquired Kija as he located one of the ends of the skein of yarn at long last, determined not to lose it as he began to finally make progress.

  “Since we were kids,” she quipped, her fingers still fighting a rather hopeless battle over on her end. “His grandpa runs a really successful training center and he trained all of the company’s security guards as well as our private ones. Hak was over all the time growing up.”

  Yoon leaned an ear in closer to their conversation in interest, pretending to keep his focus fully on the tv to cover his eavesdropping.

  “You guys are really close, then, huh?” smiled Kija softly.

  Yona shook her head, “Not really. He only hung around because of my cousin, Su-Won. They were best friends.”

  Kija blinked, a question ready and waiting upon the tip of his tongue, when he noticed the layer of melancholy that had suddenly replaced the nostalgic fondness that had been shining in Yona’s eyes mere moments ago. It caused him to frown at her in concern; he hadn’t meant to make her sad.

  Yona smiled wryly down at the mess in her lap. “That’s why he’s here, too,” she murmured as she fiddled with the yarn, wondering if perhaps she shouldn’t just throw it all out and start fresh with a new roll. “He promised my father that he’d keep an eye on me.”

  
  “We’re not dating,” stated Hak as he searched the cabinets for a bowl to put the finished popcorn in, one that wouldn’t incur the wrath of Yoon for disorganizing his spotless system, his back to his fraternity brother while he rummaged. “Not even a little bit.”

  Shin-Ah had ripped open a package of trail mix, turning his head slightly at the scuffling noise that approached from the dining room, signaling the arrival of a hungry little squirrel that was slowly fattening up under his care. “Do you like her?”

  Hak crumpled the empty popcorn bag and tossed it into the garbage can without looking, an impressive feat to most, he was sure. His eyes were unfocused and voice somewhat dull as he stated, “I love her.”

 

 

 

  Lili twirled a lock of hair around her finger, eyes taking in the sights and ears drinking in the sounds buzzing all around her, voices and conversations attacking her from every angle as she held her bottled drink in her hand and tried to sift through it all with little luck.

  The music was loud and a little disorienting, her mind trying to remember the instructions that Tetora had issued her should she find herself in danger, but she’d really only been half listening. She’d somehow gotten separated from her sisters shortly after arriving at Beta Pir, trusting the girls to gather their own information and to report back to her before the evening was over.

  She made to remove herself from the corner, to circulate around the room to see if she could pick up any clues or whereabouts to the drug that had made an appearance at a few parties on campus, the strange pill the main cause behind one of her sorority sisters dropping out of school to move back home to recover fully from her traumatic experience last month-

  She shook her head and urged herself to focus, to pay attention to what she was doing-

  Someone knocked into her from behind, spilling her drink and narrowly missing her dress as she growled and turned, only to come face to face with-

  “Watch it,” hissed Tae Jun Kan, one of the higher-up brothers that had been rumored to have been at the party that her friend had attended the night of the assault. Lili’s eyes widened in slight panic at his cold attitude towards her, disdain written upon his features as fear rendered her nearly immobile.

  Another boy stumbled his way over to them with a red plastic party cup, hanging his arm heavily over Tae Jun’s shoulder with a wide grin. “Hey, now- no harm no foul,” stated the boy with a smile that dripped with deceit. He took her now half-empty glass bottle from her lax fingers and replaced it with the plastic cup before she could even respond, warning bells going off in her head as he winked at Tae Jun and disappeared into the crowd of people.

  “Idiot,” mumbled the rude boy, his voice nearly smothered under the heavy bass of the pounding music as he brushed past her rudely in order to head outside.

  Lili released a heavy breath, her tense shoulders deflating with relief at the boy’s absence, when she suddenly remembered the cup down in her hand. She peered at the purple liquid in mild disgust, sniffing it and wondering if it was laced with the Nadai.

  She turned to head towards the front of the house, where she hoped to be able to run into Tetora and Ayura, one of them having the test strips upon them so that she could see if-

  Two boys blocked her path in the space of a heartbeat, both wearing sweatshirts with the fraternity’s name printed upon them, eyeing her up and down with lidded gazes that had unease coiling heavily in the pit of her stomach, icy dread settling into her veins as she tried to skirt around them, only to have one of them grab at her wrist.

  “Let go of me,” she demanded, attempting to wrench her arm free of his grasp and wincing at the burning pain from his grip. “I said let _go_!”

  He sneered down at her before turning to his friend, her ears barely able to hear his voice as his chin tilted towards her drink. “How much you think she’s had? Got much longer?”

  Her muscles seized and her vision swam as the other boy made to grab for her shoulder, every fiber of her being recoiling against their touches as she attempted to free herself once more. A hand landed at the nape of her neck, trying to pull her down a hallway as she cried out for help.

  Why was no one looking her way? Why was no one helping her?

  Panic overtook her every movement, her lungs gasping for air as she continued to struggle, to fight against their combined strength when hers was so very minimal to begin with-

  “There you are, babe!”

  A hand landed heavily upon the one latched onto her wrist, fingers digging into the merciless grip and prying her tender flesh free. She was tugged back against a firm chest and blinked rapidly, head tilting back and up to gaze upon the face of her rescuer.

  The young man was good looking, tall, lean muscle pressing against her back as he wrapped one arm protectively around her and began to lead her away from her attackers. “I went to get you a drink and you’d disappeared,” he said as his eyes, filled with a burning intent, pinned down the boys who slowly began to back away from them without a word.

  Her shoulders were shaking as she allowed the stranger to guide her back towards the front of the house, weaving his way through the bodies with ease and placing her with her back to a wall before shielding her from the rest of the party as she shook and fought to take deep breaths.

  “Calm down,” he instructed gently, pulling the cup from her stiff fingers and replacing it with an unopened bottle of water. “You’ll hyperventilate if you don’t settle down.”

  Lili nodded furiously, wide eyes blinking away the tears that gathered amongst the edges of her vision as realization smacked her in the face: she’d almost ended up in the same boat as her sorority sister, if not for the man-

  With green hair.

  Lili’s brow furrowed as she stared at the strange strands not completely covered by his hat, tilting her head as she watched his profile continuing to scan the room for any more threats coming their way. “Please tell me that’s not your natural color.”

  The young man blinked before turning towards her, incredulity alight in his eyes as her fingers twisted off the cap of her water, tilting her head back to down its contents greedily and closing her eyes with relief.

  “Lili!”

  She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and craned around the stranger to see Tetora and Ayura shouldering their way towards them, eyes ablaze and concern rolling off of them in waves as Tetora wrapped her in her arms and held her against her. “Are you alright?” she cried before holding her back at arm’s length, unwilling to let her go or allow her to answer her question before pulling her back against her tightly.

  “I can’t breathe,” Lili complained in a muffled voice against her sorority sister’s chest, suffocation a likely scenario as she fought to turn her head in order to gasp for oxygen.

  “Where did you run off to?” demanded Ayura, her gaze locking onto her reddened arm and eyes narrowing as her hand grasped her wrist and held the tender flesh up to her eyes in scrutiny. “We told you not to play around! It’s dangerous!”

  “I wasn’t playing! I almost died!” she exclaimed somewhat dramatically once free from Tetora’s smothering grasp. “But he saved me!”

  Ayura blinked at her, “Who?”

  Lili’s head whipped around in every direction, searching for the young man in the beanie who had saved her from those disgusting frat guys-

  She locked eyes with him as he stood in the open doorway to the entrance of the house, shooting her a wink as he held her red cup up in a toast before disappearing into the night.

  Lili frowned and sagged against the wall, disappointed with not being able to thank him properly for his actions, when she remembered why she’d gone looking for her friends to begin with-

  Oh no. He’d taken her drink. She had nothing to dip the little test strip into.

  Lili groaned and threw her head back against the wall with a loud thud, ignoring Ayura and Tetora’s questioning calls of her name.

  All that work...wasted.

 

  Jae Ha grimaced after dropping the empty cup onto the lawn with the other trash that littered the grass. Grape. Disgusting. He’d feel bad about his littering, but after witnessing what those scumbags had attempted to do to that poor girl, his yard waste was the least of their worries. He’d exited after making sure that her friends were sober and capable of looking after her, his skin crawling with the need to get out of that horrible house and back to the boring one that he’d dared to admit that he missed.

  He crossed the street and jogged over to their familiar block, glad to be back in his own quiet neighborhood, for a change. Yes, it was indeed time to go home and ditch the cesspool of sleezy frat slugs that dared to call themselves men, his anger still simmering and muscles still primed for a fight-

  He nearly doubled over as his vision began to mottle, his feet stumbling against the pavement as he stopped to steady himself against a light post. He tried to flex his fingers and noticed how delayed his actions were. Odd. He hadn’t had that much to drink...

  _That drink_.

  He’d been drugged. Jae Ha’s eyes pulsed wide as he panted at the realization, his lungs feeling like they were seizing up, sweat beading along his brow as he attempted to straighten himself up to his full height and quickly discovered that his body had no intention of following his orders.

  He felt like he was going crazy, his lucidity and sanity both sliding away slowly, everything distorted and swimming around him as he swayed and swerved, his head dizzy and senses turned upside down as he nearly fell over into a rose bush while trying to sidestep a hole in the sidewalk. If he could just make it home...

  He fought to keep his eyelids open and stumbled his way down the street, fighting against the delirium that pulled at his every sense, ripping his ability to focus into tattered shreds as he staggered his way up the front steps of the house and crashed against the front door, his legs no longer under his command as he leaned heavily against the sturdy wood with the number 437 painted on it in pristine black numbers, right below the glass window-

  “Yes?” asked Kija as he pulled the door wide, yelping as Jae Ha fell into his arms and lost consciousness. He called for help and tried to wake the sleeping man up, but to no avail.

 

  “God- he’s so _heavy_!” complained Yoon as he and Kija dragged the architect closer to the stairs, Shin-Ah coming out of the kitchen to blink at their actions curiously.

  Hak joined him a moment later, a cookie balanced between his teeth as he raised his brows in mild interest at their struggling. “Man, he really tied one off, huh? Hasn’t eve been an hour...”

  “Hak- help-“ huffed Kija as he attempted to begin pulling the man up the stairs, Yoon barking at him to slow down and allow him to catch up.

  “Alright,” sighed Hak as he approached them, “stand aside.” He lifted his roommate over his shoulder with a grunt, ascending the stairs to head towards their bedroom as Jae Ha’s arms dangled down his back, hands brushing the hem of his shirt with every step. It was a good thing that Yona had disappeared in order to change into her pajamas- he didn’t want to have to hear her fretting over Jae Ha’s stupidity.

  Yoon released a sigh of relief while Kija whined about his arm being sore, both returning to the living room while Shin-Ah frowned up at the men as they climbed the steps.

  Hak deposited Jae Ha onto his bed and straightened up, rolling his shoulders and wincing at the strain upon his spine, turning around to head back downstairs, only to nearly run into Shin-Ah in the dark, suppressing his cry of shock at the last second and gritting his teeth as he landed his fist gently upon the vet student’s shoulder. “Shin-Ah, what did I say-?”

  “Something’s wrong.”

  Hak turned towards the young man in question and frowned as Shin-Ah approached his unconscious roommate and dropped to his knees beside Jae Ha’s bed, his hand reaching out to switch on the bedside lamp, illuminating the space in gentle light so that he could see properly. His fingers lifted the lids of Jae Ha’s eyes one at a time, taking note of his dilated pupils and short, shallow breaths.

  “He’s sweating,” murmured Hak as he leaned down, watching Shin-Ah trying to locate his roommate’s pulse around one of the thick leather cuffs adorning his wrist and failing, his fingers clinical as they undid the clasps and quickly moved to locate a heartbeat, able to move freely now that the obstruction had been removed.

  Hak’s eyes widened at the sight of the thick, white scar tissue twined around the architect’s otherwise flawless skin, but Shin-Ah didn’t seem to notice, merely continuing in his quest, fingertips digging into Jae Ha’s clammy skin and frowning at the results. “He’s been drugged.”

  
 

  “He’s _still_ sleeping?” asked Yoon incredulously as he flipped pancakes in the skillet the next morning, having offered to make Sunday breakfast the night before when Yona had offered to try her hand at cooking.

  Hak shrugged a shoulder at him while filling a glass with cold water from the pitcher in the fridge. “Yeah. Guess he really had a good time last night.”

  “Sounds like it,” the boy muttered before sliding a pancake onto the top of the stack beside him, his hand slapping away Zeno’s greedy fingers, the occupational therapy student having just gotten off of work at his part-time job only an hour ago.

  Yona yawned and attempted to rub the sleep out of her eyes as she dunked her tea bag into her mug of hot water, blocking out the whining protest from Zeno at Yoon’s actions. “Maybe I should go check on him...?

  “Nah,” Hak muttered as he ruffled her hair, smirking at her squeak of protest. “Poor guy’s hungover...your voice would just give him an even bigger headache.”

  Her cheeks pinked as she stuck her tongue out at him, Kija blubbering and insisting that she had a lovely voice, and to not listen to Hak, the big bully!

  Hak turned the corner and allowed his face to fall as he climbed the stairs and headed down the hall towards the room that he shared with Jae Ha, worry guiding his movements as he opened the door and slid inside before closing it softly behind him.

  Shin-Ah sat beside Jae Ha’s bed, having placed himself there all night and taking turns with Hak in monitoring his condition. Hak jerked his head toward his still sleeping roommate in question and Shin-Ah merely turned back towards Jae Ha’s slumbering form in silent reply.

  Hak placed the glass of water upon the nightstand and softly asked, “How is he?”

  “Too soon to tell, but I think the drug might finally be out of his system.”

  Hak hummed and tapped his friend on the shoulder. “Go eat something or else the others will get suspicious.”

  Shin-Ah nodded and slowly rose, stretching his arms up over his head and rubbing his hands along his spine as he left, the stairs creaking and groaning beneath his feet as he headed down toward the bustling kitchen in search of breakfast.

  Hak took the now vacant seat and crossed his arms over his chest. His voice was slightly louder, but still mindful of his volume as he said, “He’s gone. You gonna keep pretending to sleep?”

  Jae Ha groaned before sluggishly rolling over onto his back, eyes still closed and face painted in a slight grimace as his shaking fingers swiped his bangs out of his eyes. “What time izzit?” he slurred groggily.

  “Almost nine,” Hak replied while reaching for the water and urging Jae Ha to try and sit up so that he could drink. “Mind telling me what happened last night? Remember anything?”

  Jae Ha’s eyes were bloodshot as he peeled his lids open and watched his lax fingers attempt to hold the glass that Hak offered him, leaning heavily against the wall behind his head and groaning at his sore muscles. “Not much to tell,” he croaked. “Just rescued a girl from being another statistic and paid the price, that’s all.”

  Hak’s frown deepened as he watched Jae Ha’s hand tremble with the effort of lifting the cup up to his lips, watching his throat constrict as he took several gulps of water and coughed once he was finished. He took the empty glass from him and watched him attempt to get up before holding out his arm and pushing him back down into his bed. “Sleep.”

  “I’m fine, Hak,” he insisted, but settled himself down amongst the rumpled sheets once more, anyway. “It’s not like I haven’t taken drugs before...”

  “Didn’t ask,” he muttered while leaning back in his chair, gaze unwavering as he watched Jae Ha adjust the pillow beneath his head. “What’d they give you? Do you know?”

  Jae Ha gave his head a small shake before closing his eyes and grimacing, his vision swimming slightly still as his head gave a dull throb. “Couldn’t taste it. Whatever it was, it works fast...”

  Hak hummed as he watched his roommate relax even further against his mattress, his complexion still too pale for his liking. He stood and headed for the door to allow him to rest, pausing with his hand upon the knob as he said, “I’ll check on you in a bit. Shin-Ah said you can have some meds in awhile, but not until he’s sure you’re clean.”

  “Great,” moaned Jae Ha at the realization that he would have to suffer for a little longer, moving to tug his sheet up over his shoulder and noticing his bracelet’s absence with an abject look of panic. He stiffened, expression stricken and bloodshot eyes snapping over to his nightstand to see his bracelets strewn over the surface.

  “Shin-Ah owes you dinner and a movie,” stated Hak as he watched Jae Ha fumble to hide his skin from him. 

  Jae Ha squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the sheet high up over his head. Fan-fucking-tastic.

  “But if you wanna talk about it, I’m here.”

  Jae Ha stayed frozen as he listened to Hak’s fading footsteps in the hallway, the architect counting the creaks and groans as his roommate descended the stairs, all the while fighting against the strange tightening in his throat as he urged himself to calm down and just breathe.


	10. Let the Flames Devour Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:  
>  youseimanami said: Hi Jeana :3 :) What do you think about a challenge between Hak, Kija and Jae-Ha? (Then maybe even is he wasn't partecipating at all, Shin-Ah wins in the end? :D)

“Alright, enough is enough!” roared Kija from the upstairs bathroom, the door flying open before the normally calm and collected young man stomped out into the hallway in a rage, hair still damp from his shower and steam practically coming out of his ears as he thundered down the stairs and into the living room, where Hak was sprawled out lazily upon the couch while Zeno relaxed in the recliner with Ao resting upon his stomach.

  “Hak, this is ridiculous!” Kija shouted, startling the once sleeping little creature with a squeak, Zeno’s hands quickly catching the tiny animal before it could sprint off into unknown corners of the house in its fright. “You can’t seriously expect me to have to keep putting blue in my hair! It’s unprofessional and I look ridiculous!”

  Hak barely spared Kija’s (now) faded baby blue strands a glance, scoffing towards the tv as his voice droned, “Well then, maybe you should’ve run a little faster in that race...”

  Kija gritted his teeth and growled, hands clenched into tight fists at his sides as Zeno cradled the shaking squirrel against his chest and sat upright, eyes wide as he watched the tension between the two young men grow darker and more sinister.

  “If you wanna stop, you know the cost,” Hak said with a wolffish grin, just as Yona walked around the corner with a newly acquired skein of yarn for her next attempt at crocheting. “If you don’t wanna pay the toll, feel free to issue another challenge.”

  Yona stood in the entrance, pausing at all of the hostility in the air. “What’s going on?”

  Kija whirled around to face her, eyes wide with frustration and lips pressed together in a thin line, his voice strained as he muttered something nonsensical under his breath and brushed past her in his departure.

  Yona turned toward Hak and narrowed her eyes at the dark haired man as he settled himself even more comfortably against the cushions, not seeming even the slightest bit out of sorts over his housemate’s fury regarding his relentless teasing. “Hak- stop picking on poor Kija! What’s he ever done to you?”

  “He annoys me,” he muttered, sliding his gaze toward her as he watched her drop to the ground with a huff of annoyance. “Besides, he agreed to the terms just like the others did, but you don’t hear them complaining about it.”

  Both Zeno and Yona stared at Hak in disbelief, wondering how the man could say that with a straight face when Jae Ha bemoaned the fate of his hair on a daily basis, loudly and repeatedly.

  [In fact, just last week he’d cried out, “I’m sick of looking like an anime character, Hak! This is just wrong!”]

  Having learned from her last mistake, Yona slowly unraveled the yarn to begin rolling it into a ball before beginning her next project. “I really think it’s time to end this stupid little bet, don’t you?”

  Hak grinned, the demonic pull upon his lips something that would send a grown man to his knees, his tone dripping with glee as he murmured, “Not a chance.”

 

 

  “Hak, I challenge you to a duel!”

  Hak’s eyebrow twitched at Jae Ha’s war cry, his finger outstretched and pointing at him with determination from his spot at the kitchen table, Kija seated directly across from, his eyes filled with fury and the desire to ensure that Hak suffered with the weight of his loss.

  Hak sighed and slowly shuffled his way over to the boys, pulling out a chair and murmuring, “Yeah, alright. Guess I shoulda seen this coming...” What else did he have to do on a Monday night besides study, anyway? His brow furrowed as his eyes drank in the sight of the tabletop, about to open his mouth in question when Jae Ha interrupted him.

  “We’re having a pepper eating contest,” he issued as his hand swept across the various brightly colored vegetables arranged in little groups in front of each of them, the center of the table occupied with a gallon of milk, a pitcher of water, and a pint of what appeared to be vanilla ice cream. Each place setting had a spoon and an empty cup, as well as a small bowl of ice cubes and a few napkins.

  Well, well...they’d been very... _thorough_ this time.

  Hak raised a brow as he recognized a few of the peppers, uncertainty over the others only making him curious instead of uneasy.

  Kija’s hands were once again clenched into fists upon the table, his game face on and ready to go as Jae Ha continued on with the rules.

  “Now then,” the architect stated as he scooted his chair in closer. “We’ll be starting with the mildest peppers and working our way up to the hottest ones. You have to chew and swallow at least half of the pepper without throwing up, and no spitting out, either. Last one to cave wins, and the losers have to do whatever the winner says, no exceptions.”

  “And just so you _know_ ,” hissed Kija as he leaned toward Hak, eyes narrowed into sapphire slits, his tone dripping with venomous intent as Hak continued to look unimpressed and rather bored with the whole affair. “I will show no mercy. It won’t be pretty.”

  “Bring it on,” smirked Hak as he turned towards the fair haired mathematician. “Always thought you’d look good with a matching purple streak.”

  Jae Ha announced the start and each man reached for a bright green jalapeño pepper, the only noise the sound of their crunching as they chewed the vegetable with relative ease, each one swallowing it and announcing their completion before continuing on. So far so good, but it was early.

  The chipotle pepper was next in line, its bright red hue causing Kija to frown at it as he held it up to his face, consciously making the effort to erase his slight discomfort from his features at the teasing glint in Hak’s eye as he smirked at him. The crunching continued as the men ate and before long, it was on to the next, everyone fairing off decently well as the minutes ticked by.

  Kija cleared his throat, his shoulder twitching slightly as Hak’s face reflected his ongoing boredom, Jae Ha’s voice stating that it was time for the tabasco pepper, these ones yellow as opposed to the much more common red ones that they were used to seeing.

  The tiny pepper wasn’t particularly tasty, if the mild grimaces upon each of their faces was any indication, all three men chewing quickly and gulping it down to get it over with as fast as possible.

  Shin-Ah entered in through the back door, back from his monthly farm rotation just as three voices all chimed in with their consent to continue, golden eyes blinking curiously at the group as he slowly approached the table. He watched Jae Ha announce the next pepper and pulled out a chair to observe them in their challenge, taking in the state of each of his brothers as they all reached for their cayenne peppers.

  Hak made a remark about the flavor being more satisfactory than the last as they all chewed, the three of them at least agreeing upon that much as Kija exhaled a loud breath and Jae Ha rolled his shoulders. One of Hak’s fingers twitched ever so slightly against the table, unobserved by everyone else except Shin-Ah. The vet student eyed the remainder of the pods and reached for one, munching upon it as the others all checked in and announced that they were ready to continue.

  The Thai chili pepper was long and thin, another bright red skin that caused Kija’s burning lips to warble as he lifted the rather menacing looking thing up to his mouth, Hak and Jae Ha eyeing one another as all three men bit into it, their teeth grinding and crunching, the three of them sniffling as their noses began to run, reaching for their napkins and sighing after cleaning themselves up.

  Kija used the back of his hand to swipe away the moisture gathering along the corners of his eyes, swallowing the pepper and releasing a shaky exhale as Jae Ha cleared his throat, unaware of Shin-Ah’s hand pulling his left overs closer to himself for a snack.

  “Everyone alright?” the eldest brother asked in an overly flippant tone, his voice slightly strained as Kija clenched his eyes tightly shut and nodded his head furiously, oblivious to Shin-Ah’s fingers reaching for his remainders as well.

  The Jamaican hot chili was squat and oddly shaped, each man eyeing it somewhat warily as they bit into it slowly, teeth grinding it with precaution as the capsaicin began to activate along their tongues with a bit of a boost.

  Kija whimpered and ducked his head with a whining protest, his hands digging into the fabric of his slacks as he struggled to swallow it down, Jae Ha coughing into his hand as Hak sniffed once more before reaching for his napkin once more to catch any dripping fluids.

  Shin-Ah continued to watch silently as each of his brothers began to shift in their seats, ingesting his own snacks while Kija began to squirm in his chair, his face flushing and skin coated in a fine, thin sheen of sweat.

  The habanero proved to be Kija’s undoing, the young man coughing and gagging before reaching for the pitcher of water, not even bothering with his glass as he lifted the vessel up to his mouth and took deep gulps of the cold liquid. The water dribbled down the sides of his mouth and dripped onto his chinos as he continued to swallow greedily. He gasped and coughed when he was through, shoving ice cubes into his mouth as Shin-Ah tilted his head toward him and quietly asked if he was alright before inquiring as to whether or not he was going to finish the pepper?

  Kija’s eyes were clenched tightly shut as he rolled his ice cubes around in his mouth, shaking his head at the vet student’s questions that he hadn’t really been listening to and moaning with the slight relief that the frozen little pellets provided his poor tongue.

  Shin-Ah swallowed the habanero without complaint as Jae Ha began to rock back and forth, shaking his head from side to side as Hak’s fists pounded down upon the table top, rattling the spoons and nearly knocking over everyone’s empty cups as both boys gritted their teeth and tried to wear the other one down.

  Unable to speak, Jae Ha gestured toward the final pepper in the challenge, the skin a menacing crimson and resembling something that the devil would grow in a flower pot for mere fun. It was wrinkled and unappealing, both men dragging it towards them with trembling fingers, aware of what pain awaited them as Kija continued to shove more ice into his already stuffed cheeks.

  Both boys managed to get a few chews in before the final threads of their controls snapped, Hak spitting the infernal thing out and reaching for the milk, tipping his head back in order to glug it down straight from the plastic jug with Jae Ha right behind him as he frantically scooped out a heaping spoonful of ice cream and shoved it into his mouth.

  “I win,” the green haired architect gurgled around his mouthful of confectionary frozen treat, Hak ignoring him as he gargled the dairy product around the back of his throat in desperation. Who the hell cared? He was too busy dying, over here!

  All was silent for a moment, until Kija heard a crunching chewing sound, finally registering its cause as his wide eyes slowly turned towards Shin-Ah, whose presence he’d completely overlooked while in the throes of his misery.

  The blue haired student was eating Kija’s ghost pepper slowly and with a straight face, silent and still as Kija’s fingers tugged insistently upon the sleeve of Hak’s sweatshirt to gain his attention.

  Hak moaned and managed to ask him what he wanted with a mouthful of ice cream that he’d managed to procure from Jae-Ha, his bright blue eyes growing impossibly wide as he and Kija both sat frozen, watching Shin-Ah continue to chew as Hak’s hand smacked Jae Ha in the shoulder to alert him.

  All three men watched Shin-Ah finally reach for a glass of water calmly another minute later, Jae Ha’s voice a wheezing croak as he breathed, “You gotta be fucking kidding me.”

  Hak begrudgingly announced Shin-Ah the winner, none of the others objecting his declaration before they all shared the ice cream amongst themselves.

  “My stomach hurts,” whined Kija as he pressed his face against the cool surface of the table and licked the remaining ice cream off of his spoon, hoping that Shin-Ah would be far more merciful upon his hair than Hak had been.

 

 

  “Seriously?” grumbled Hak as they all stood outside of the entrance to the arcade that Friday, the smell of pizza heavy in the air as the sounds of ringing bells and archaic video games chirped and sang to them through every crack, seeping out of the building’s pores as Kija tilted his head curiously at all of the noise.

  Jae Ha smiled softly at the child-like excitement radiating off of Shin-Ah as he pushed the door open and stepped inside, glancing at them all over his shoulder to ensure that they would all be along shortly before disappearing into the fray.

  “What can I say, Hak?” Jae Ha asked with a slight shrug of the shoulder. “He won fair and square. Let him have this one, yeah?”

  “Yeah, he murmured softly, nostalgia heavy upon his heart as he tried to recall the last time he’d set foot in one of these places. Hak grinned and rolled his shoulders as he eyed a Ms PacMan machine, loosening up his muscles as he recalled that his high score back home was unbeaten to this very day.

  Oh, this was gonna be _fun_.

  “Anyone up for another challenge?” issued Hak, his grin met on either side of him before all three headed inside to relieve their pockets of some change and treat Shin-Ah to dinner.


	11. Intruder

  His name was Tae Jun Kan, he’d announced with an air of importance while blocking her exit, and he’d be willing to ask her out on a date, seeing as how she looked so lonely.

  Yona blinked in both surprise and confusion, the application for the position of part-time barista for one of the campus coffee shops clutched in her fingers as she tried to comprehend just what was happening and how the events had led her to this exact moment in time. Where had this boy come from? He’d nearly knocked her over after she’d thanked the kind barista behind the counter for the form, turning around to leave, only to knock right into his chest.

  He hadn’t apologized for bumping into her yet, either.

  And what was that crack about her looking so lonely? She wasn’t lonely! Even if she was, she wouldn’t be seeking out the company of a stranger, much less an inconsiderate one like him!

  “Let me buy you a cup of coffee,” he offered, but not with any true kind intent behind his actions.

  Yona tried to skirt around him while folding her application and placing it into her bag, not overly fond of the aura that he was giving off. “Oh! That’s very nice of you, but I don’t drink coffee.”

  He wasn’t deterred; if anything, her denial merely urged him on, barreling right past her words, his voice obnoxious as he simply stated, “Of course you do! Here, let me-“

  His hand wrapped around her wrist to keep her right where she was and she frowned, in both annoyance to his deference of her denial and his pushy actions. Where had he gotten the notion that it was alright to touch her? “No, thank you. If you’ll excuse me, my friends are waiting for me-“

  Managing to break herself free from his grasp, Yona hurried around him and pushed against the glass door, stepping out into the late September sun and sighing with relief at having escaped the rather determined boy-

  She gasped and choked back a cry of shock as a tight and vice like grip wrapped around her bicep, pulling her back against an unfamiliar body and jarring her tiny frame in the process. “Ow! Wha-?”

  His eyes, completely devoid of what small amount of false sentiment they’d held earlier, sent chills down her spine, his fingers digging into her flesh as she whimpered and tried once more to shove herself away from him, but to no avail. People passed by them, some averting their gazes to her struggles while others muttered and murmured their recognitions of the boy whose father ‘was on the board of education’ and how his family ‘was one of the leading donors to the University.’

  “Let _go_ of me!” she yelped, her eyes closing as he dug his fingertips into the sensitive flesh, panic controlling her movements as she fought and struggled-

  A large hand wrapped around Tae Jun’s wrist, executing a rather complex movement that had his grip disappearing from her before his shoulder was tugged, his arm held behind his back at an awkward angle and a yelping cry wrenching itself free of his chest as he bent over into a weird twisting motion.

  “Oops,” muttered Hak as he held Tae Jun’s writhing frame captive with minimal effort, his free hand holding his donut up to his mouth so that he could continue eating his pastry while exuding his hold. “My hand slipped.”

  “Then let go!” cried Tae Jun as he struggled fruitlessly, Hak’s bored expression never faltering despite the boy’s whining cries of pain.

  “Oh, I don’t know if you want that,” purred Jae Ha as he came to stand beside Hak, his fingers pulling off a piece of the half-finished donut and popping it into his own mouth as he watched Tae Jun’s eyes grow wide. “Because if Hak lets go, then I’m going to have a turn at you...and that might not be in your best interest...”

  Kija came up to complete the half circle, the bloodlust in his normally clear gaze sending shudders down Yona’s spine, his left hand cracking the knuckles upon his right as he tilted his head at Tae Jun and murmured how horribly rude it was to touch a young lady after she’d repeatedly asked one not to.

  Gentle hands gripped her shoulders, turning her away from the sight and towards a face that she knew and trusted. “Are you okay, Yona?” asked Yoon, a deep frown of concern upon his handsome features as his fingers inspected the red welt growing upon her pale skin.

  She nodded, not trusting her voice as she plastered on a wobbling smile to assure her friend, but he didn’t look like he believed her when he noticed how her hands shook as she gripped the strap of her messenger bag tightly.

  Shin-Ah appeared out of nowhere, his hand steadying her beneath her other elbow as he guided her away from the scene that was currently unfolding upon the sidewalk, Yoon following after them as they crossed the street and headed over towards a quieter section of the small park, where she could escape the small crowd gathering and rest upon a bench.

  Tae Jun dropped to a knee upon the pavement, his voice strained as he barked out an empty threat to report them to the higher ups for their actions. They would pay for laying their hands on him, they’d see!

  “That’s funny, mister,” chirped Zeno as he landed a hand upon Kija’s shoulder. “We were just gonna say the same thing to you about going to the police and reporting you for assaulting a young girl, especially when she explicitly told you to back off!”

  Tae Jun’s wide eyes narrowed to slits, his teeth clenched as Hak pressed his arm back just a tad more to ensure him that their warning held true.

  “I’ve seen you, you know,” muttered Hak as he brushed his left hand off on his jeans, ridding his fingers of any lingering crumbs from his donut. “Around campus...watching her...”

  Tae Jun glared at him over his shoulder as Jae Ha leaned down as well, indigo eyes squinting slightly with recognition as he murmured, “Pretty sure I saw you at that frat part a few weeks back, too...over at Beta Pir...”

  “My family founded that fraternity,” he hissed, committing every last one of their faces to his memory for later retribution. “You’d do well to stay away from us.”

  “Gladly,” grumbled Hak as he released the young man at last, brushing his fingers against one another as Tae Jun fell over onto his hands and knees after being held in such a compromising contortion for so long. “Let’s go, guys.”

  Kija growled at him as he passed by, Jae Ha urging him to stop making whatever expression was upon his features as all three men jogged across the street in the direction that the others had gone.

  Tae Jun clenched his hands into fists and raised his head to watch them go, vengeance burning brightly in his eyes-

  “Ya know...”

  He startled and whipped his head to the side, unaware that the bubbly one with bright golden hair had crouched down beside him, his chin in his palm as he studied Tae Jun with a neutral expression.

  “You should probably stay away from us, too,” he said with a mild tone, a small smile tugging upon his lips at the look on the young man’s face. “‘Cuz we don’t take too kindly to anyone who hurts the little Miss.”

  He stood and brushed off his pant legs before following after his friends, leaving the crumpled form of Tae Jun upon the sidewalk to think about the challenge lingering behind his words, his shoulder throbbing and anger simmering just below the surface of his humiliation at having been put in such a situation.

  Oh, this was far from over.

 

 

 

  “Guys, I’m fine- I swear!”

  Shin-Ah’s fingers grazed her welted skin before resting her arm back in her lap with a small frown. He looked upset at the state of her pale skin, even though it wasn’t a serious mark. There was bound to be a slight bruise, but nothing more.

  Yona stroked his shoulder gently, smiling at him sweetly as he lifted his gaze to hers from where he kneeled upon the grass in front of her. “I’m fine,” she urged him, fingers trying to soothe away the tension in his frame. “I promise.”

  He lowered his head slightly and gave a small nod before rising and settling himself beside her upon the bench, Yoon on her left, both boys watching the people coming and going from each direction, waiting for the others to catch up to them.

  Yoon swiped his thumb across the screen of his phone, about to text Jae Ha and inquire as to where they were, when the green-haired architect’s voice echoed, “So here’s where you all went..?”

  Yona tilted her head back, watching the other four members of their fraternity approach them slowly, Hak coming to stand before her, his eyes upon her arm as his brow furrowed with both anger and concern.

  “Yona,” cried out Kija, any anger that had been upon his features before wiped completely clean as he squeezed himself in between she and Yoon, much to the outcry of the young genius as he slid himself down the bench a bit further in order to put some space between them. “Are you alright? You’re not hurt? Do you want to get your injury checked out?”

  Yona sighed and smiled weakly at all of them, wanting to be exasperated by their continuous questioning regarding the slight redness upon her arm, but knowing that they meant well. Her gaze locked with each of the boys as they all waited for her answer, her heart swelling at the worry that lingered in each of their eyes, their desires to protect her such a very humbling feeling. “I’m fine, everyone. Thank you for your concern, but it’s nothing- I promise.”

  “You really should report him, Yona,” insisted Yoon, leaning around Kija to frown sternly at her. “If you don’t, he might try to pull something like that again!”

  “Better not,” groused Kija, clenching his right hand into a fist once more against his thigh, the desire to strike still lingering in his thoughts.

  Yona covered his hand with hers, patting him softly and smiling gently at the surprise that etched across his features at their skin touching, a slight blush painting his cheeks a rosy hue as he stared at her hand resting upon his. “I’m sure he got the message, guys. Thanks for stepping in when you did.”

  “Of course,” stated Jae Ha, flicking his long strands over his shoulder, not commenting upon the pigment for once, in light of the circumstances. “What I don’t understand is how or why no one else jumped in? They all saw him harassing you!”

  “It’s because his father is Soo-Jin Kan,” interjected Zeno, who stood next to the end of the bench beside Shin-Ah. “He’s got a lot of push and pull around here. So even if she does report him, chances are it probably won’t amount to much, unfortunately.”

  Hak’s lips pressed into a thin line and Jae Ha snarled at the statement, both men knowing that the happy-go-lucky housemate was probably right. The fact that boys like Tae Jun were permitted to run around freely on campus without fear of punishment for their actions had their stomachs twisting with disgust, let alone the fact that he had his sights set upon their Yona. It made them all uneasy, knowing that the more that they would urge her to be cautious, the more that she would fight to prove that she could handle herself, unintentionally putting herself in harm’s way in the process.

  The atmosphere had turned grim with their contemplative silence and she didn’t like it. Determined to salvage the rest of the afternoon, she cleared her throat and gathered her things. “Let’s go home,” she said as she stood, smiling at them all and watching them all agreeing with her in one way or another.

  Hak walked beside her as they all headed off for the house, his arm occasionally brushing against hers as he said, “Don’t go walking anywhere by yourself for awhile, okay? And don’t pass by that place on your way home if you can help it, alright?”

  Yona nodded in agreement, wanting to do anything to appease her housemates and assure them at the moment, just wanting to put the whole thing behind them while knowing that it wouldn’t be possible for a little while. Their serious expressions as they watched the people passing by and milling around them informed her that none of them would be able to forget any time soon.

  She smiled softly as she assured herself that if her father knew just how many people would be looking out for her, he’d be able to rest much easier.


	12. Promise

 

  Yona adjusted the books that she’d borrowed from the library in her arms, juggling their weight and frowning as she struggled to not drop any of them.

  “Do you want me to carry a few of those, Yona?”

  Amethyst eyes widened for a moment as the red head stumbled, righting herself before smiling in reassurance, her voice only slightly winded as she huffed out, “No thanks! I got it!”

  Her partner for their nineteenth century American History course didn’t exactly look mollified, but she allowed Yona to carry the load anyway, having already witnessed the crimson-haired girl’s stubborn tenacity when their ancient professor had incorrectly graded one of her quizzes, refusing to back down until she’d made it apparent that she wouldn’t be accepting the older man’s indifference without a fight.

  Watching the crusty old man concede to her had unknowingly won her Lili’s hard-to-acquire respect and admiration.

  Yona turned the corner and headed down the street toward the house that she shared with her friends, the breeze that swept across her face slightly cooler with the steadily lowering temperature that accompanied early October. It was refreshing and soothing, a welcome break from the late summer heat that had been clinging to the college town so stubbornly.

  She made a mental note to open up the windows in her bedroom once they’d ascended the stairs, eager to rid the space of the stale summer air that had been continuously recycled by her air conditioning unit the past few weeks. She was certain that her partner would appreciate the gesture and there was nothing more that she wanted than to make her as comfortable as possible, seeing as how Yona had practically insisted that they get some work done over at her place.

  Coming upon the front steps at long last, Yona nearly dropped her stack of books as Lili gripped her elbow tightly, yanking her backwards as she hissed, “Yona, what do you think you’re _doing_?”

  Yona blinked at her around the stack of books and frowned slightly as she tried to process why the dark haired girl had stopped her from going inside. “Eh?”

  “That’s a _fraternity_ ,” Lili explained, as if Yona didn’t know or understand fully where she was. “You know- where _guys_ live?”

  Yona stuttered over her words for a moment, having completely forgotten that her circumstances, which had become second nature to her, could be construed as strange and not exactly normal to outsiders.

  She was about to briefly explain how she’d come to living at a fraternity, when the front door opened and Zeno bounded down the steps, his golden hair in a ponytail and bouncing behind him with every movement. The young boy paused as he caught sight of Yona, a bright smile lighting up his features as he called out, “Hey there, little Miss! You’re home late!”

  “Yeah,” she called, blowing her bangs out of her eyes and missing Lili’s wide eyed expression as the boy approached them. “I had to stop by the library for some reference books,” she took note of his navy blue scrubs and asked, “Are you working tonight?”

  He nodded and hummed his response before informing her that the guys were thinking about ordering pizza for dinner, since Yoon was too busy practicing his pastries to be bothered with cooking anything else. He then turned toward Lili, smiling at her as well and introducing himself.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry!” exclaimed Yona at her lack of manners, turning to Lili with a sheepish smile. “Lili, this is Zeno, one of my fraternity brothers. Zeno, this is Lili,” she watched them shake hands before continuing, “she’s in one of my classes and we’re partners for an assignment.”

  “Boo homework,” he laughed, glancing down at his phone and grimacing at the time. “I gotta run! Bye ladies! It was nice to meet you, Lili!”

  “Yeah, you too,” she murmured after him as she watched him jog down the street in his scrubs, her frown of confusion smoothing out only slightly as she warily followed Yona up the steps. She didn’t understand...weren’t frat guys usually sleazy and perverted?

  Crossing the threshold, the sounds of raucous yelling and loud callings of names greeted their ears, both girls standing inside of the foyer with wide eyes and blank stares to watch a fair-haired boy, with skin flushed from exertion, jumping and pouncing as he attempted to retrieve a notebook out of the high-reaching grasp of a green-haired boy. Their voices carried and echoed in the space while a third resident of the house stood in the doorway to the kitchen and yelled at them both to ‘knock it off!’

  The taller of the two was snickering, his face familiar to the raven haired girl-

  “I know you!” yelled Lili, pointing her finger at the tall and lean young man with the long emerald colored hair, who turned his head towards her in surprised question, lifting his hand to wave at her as recognition crossed his features. His lack of concentration ended up costing him, his lapse allowing the white-blonde haired boy to tackle him to the ground in his attempts to pull his notebook free of his grasp.

  “You’re such a _heathen_ , Jae Ha!” cried Kija as he stood crisply and straightened his appearance, his notebook clutched tightly beneath his arm as his housemate regarded Lili with a smile and a wave from his place upon the floor. “Honestly!”

  Jae Ha chuckled and watched the mathematician storm off to the second level, stairs creaking and groaning as he headed back towards the depths of his bedroom to shut himself away in solitary confinement once again. “It’s not healthy to stay up there all day hunched over a keyboard, you know!” he called after him. “You should come out and interact with the three dimensional people once in awhile!”

  “Mind your own business, you Muppet!” he called from the top of the landing before his bedroom door slammed shut behind him.

  The reference finally registered and Jae Ha threw his head back against the floor with a shout of laughter, Yoon mumbling about how he was ‘surrounded by morons’ before turning back towards the kitchen to finish practicing his hand at rolling out a pie crust worthy of his standards.

 

 

  “You seriously saved me that night,” Lili insisted from her place at the dining room table, she and Yona having confiscated the entire surface in their quest for getting a good head start on their project. “It was such a close call.”

  Jae Ha smiled softly at her before flitting his gaze over to Yona, watching her hand scribble furiously across her paper as she copied down another reference from one of the books she’d secured from the campus library, having buckled down after hearing the backstory of how the two knew each other. “It was my pleasure. I’m just glad I got there when I did.”

  Yona softly asked Lili if she could borrow her pink hi-liter, and the girl handed it over to her wordlessly, beginning to feel a little guilty for how little she was contributing to their work, but she needed to thank Jae Ha properly while she had the chance. It had been bothering her for over a month now and she needed the closure.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly were you doing in a place like that?” he inquired, leaning forward to plant his elbow upon the table and rest his chin in his palm. “Those kinds of parties are really dangerous for girls, you know?”

  Lili’s expression hardened in determination slightly, causing Jae Ha to raise a brow at her reaction. “My sorority sisters and I are trying to get information on a drug that’s been circulating at parties over there.”

  Jae Ha sat up slightly in interest, watching her brush her long hair over her shoulder before continuing, explaining how one of her sorority sisters had been drugged and accosted, forcing her to leave school and head back home in order to receive proper therapy and be able to recover in a supportive and more calming environment.

  “It’s called Nadai and it’s really dangerous,” she stated, her fingers toying with a stray paper clip in her restless agitation. “It’s fast acting and doesn’t appear in a drug test. You have to either catch it before someone’s ingested it or confiscate their drink to prove that they were drugged at all, which is why it’s so popular... it basically allows those assholes to get away with it...”

  “Since there’s no proof,” murmured Jae Ha softly in thought, brow furrowed as he leaned back in his chair, mulling over his thoughts as Lili nodded, solemn and still angry over the things that she couldn’t change for her friend who’d left their sorority. “That’s really commendable of you to investigate, but I think it would be best for you to stay away from that place, Lili dear.”

  Lili frowned as Yona agreed with him, the red head closing the book before her to smile softly at her classmate.

  “Those guys are really dangerous and they don’t take no for an answer,” Yona murmured as her fingers absentmindedly brushed over the faded bruise upon her bicep, unaware that she was even doing it. “Why not go to the dean or the authorities-?”

  “We _have_ ,” she urged, a fire beginning to simmer behind her eyes at the injustice of it all. “But it’s just words without proof! That’s why no one’s been charged with anything- no one will listen if we don’t have any evidence to back the claims up!”

  Jae Ha reached out to pat her hand soothingly, fingertips brushing along her skin in soft strokes. “I can’t imagine how frustrating that must be, but I know that we would all feel so much worse if you were to end up in a horrible situation without anyone there to intervene.”

  Lili dropped her gaze and bit into her bottom lip, tears of frustration beginning to gather upon the outer edges of her vision. “I _hate_ those jerks...”

  “Yeah, join the club.”

  Three sets of eyes turned towards the doorway to the kitchen, where Hak was leaning against the frame, popping blueberries into his mouth like candy. He pushed himself up and away as he headed towards them, standing in between Yona and Jae Ha as he gave Lili a wave of his hand in greeting after they were introduced.

  “If only I could get my hands on it...” Lili murmured in thought, facial features pinched into a deep frown of contemplation as her brain fought to come up with a scheme to allow her to safely obtain some of the mystery drug without being caught. “Then they’d see...”

  “Lili,” murmured Yona, leaning forward as an idea began to brew behind her eyes. “What if _we_ were to help you instead?”

  Lili frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “We?” deadpanned Hak at the same time that Jae Ha sputtered, “What?” 

  “Think about it,” Yona continued. “Those morons would probably be far more likely to help a fellow _male_ student out, wouldn’t you say?”

 

 

  The plan to have Kija, Hak and Jae Ha infiltrate the next frat party underway, Lili headed towards the door with a lighter feeling upon her frame, relief at finally getting closer to uncovering the happenings upon campus removing a huge weight of responsibility off of her shoulders.

  “Thanks for everything you guys,” she said as they stood in the foyer, Jae Ha tugging on his hat after insisting that he walk her home in the dark. “And Yona,” she said as she turned toward her classmate. “You’re really lucky, you know?”

  Yona smiled at her new friend, nodding her head in agreement as the two took off into the night, waving goodbye as Hak bumped his shoulder into hers. She frowned up at him and promptly rolled her eyes at his smug smirk.

  She sighed in irritation over the look on his face. “What?”

  “You’re lucky to have me,” he teased her in a sing-song voice, chuckling at how she stuttered her denial and blushed lightly. “Even Lili thinks so.”

  “You’re such a bear, Hak,” she muttered as she turned back towards the dining room table, gathering up her things and tidying her mess. She was still slightly annoyed at having both men refuse to allow her near the event to help, insisting that she stay back and away from any danger. It was sound reasoning, she knew, but she still wanted to help.

  Hak’s eyes softened as he watched her movements without her knowledge, a little voice inside of him insisting that he was _her_ bear, for as long as she would have him.


	13. Can You Keep a Secret?

  This was all her fault.

  Yona swallowed her screaming nerves and tried her best to take in a deep and calming breath, the cool wind lacing its unending fingers through her crimson strands as she tried to calm the shaking in her limbs.

  Sitting upon the ledge of one of her open windows, hands braced in the frame, she tentatively placed her feet upon the tiny ledge of tarred shingles beneath her window and clenched her eyes tightly shut to avoid reminding herself just how far down of a fall awaited below her if she lost her footing.

  A squeak to her right had her eyes shooting open, her head whipping to the side to watch the ornery little runaway squirrel take a few more bounding leaps up the slope of the roof, heading over towards one of the dormers and making a break for the chimney in its avid curiosity.

  Yona called out to Ao, silently cursing herself for her irresponsible negligence that morning, despite Shin-Ah’s gentle reminders to everyone to close their bedroom windows to prevent the little squirrel from getting into too much trouble until its wobbling leg had had a proper amount of time to heal adequately.

  The little thing sure looked fully healed at the moment.

  Tears blurred the edges of her vision as Yona sunk her teeth into her bottom lip and stood, slowly edging her way out onto the narrow ledge, hands tightly gripping at the wooden siding as she turned and began to gingerly make her way around the curve of the turret and out towards the wider sloping of the roof. She paused often, limbs shaking and apprehension stiffening her movements, the idea of having to apologize to Shin-Ah over the heart-breaking loss of his pet causing her chest to ache and spurring her forward.

  She took a deep breath and steeled herself. She could do this. She wasn’t helpless. She wouldn’t allow anyone in this house to feel the pain of losing something or someone so very dear to them if she could help it.

 

 

 

 

  Only four days had passed since Yona’s plan to infiltrate the Beta Pir Halloween party to acquire a sample of Nadai had been formulated, the stubborn young girl still pouting as she begged and pleaded with Hak yet again to allow her sneak into the party to help, as well.

  “Absolutely not,” he’d denied her once more while seated at the dining room table that morning, scraping his fork against his plate and lifting his final bite of scrambled eggs up to his mouth. “I told you- it’s too dangerous.”

  The petulant glare that she leveled at him had absolutely no effect upon the dark haired man, having been raised with her and growing immune to her usual ways to try and get her way, scrolling through his phone and continuing to ignore her pokes against his shoulder.

  “Hak,” she whined as Kija set his recently re-filled mug of coffee down at his place across the table from her, the young man sinking heavily into his chair in exhaustion. “Come on! It’s my plan! I wanna help!”

  “Hak’s right, Yona,” said Jae Ha from the end of the table, frowning in thought as he organized his drawing utensils and realizing that he was due for new ones already. “It’s way too dangerous. Frankly, I don’t feel that comfortable taking Kija along.”

  Kija yawned blearily and rubbed at his bloodshot eyes, having finally emerged from his bedroom after completing a rather difficult coding assignment just last night. “Can handle myself, thanks,” grumbled the mathematician around the rim of his coffee mug, sipping at the steaming liquid and sighing as it slowly helped to wave away the fog from his brain. “Wait-“ he blinked after a moment had passed, as if only registering the favor that they’d asked of him yesterday. “Why do _I_ have to go, again? Why can’t you guys take Zeno or Shin-Ah?”

  Both Hak and Yona turned around in their seats while Jae Ha merely turned his head, all three of them watching both housemates in question sitting upon the floor of the living room, their innocent eyes wide in curiosity and fingers poking at Ao’s stuffed little cheeks, trying to get the small squirrel to empty the near bursting pockets that had been thoroughly filled with whatever it was that it was chewing upon.

  Jae Ha and Hak both slowly turned back towards Kija with flat expressions in answer, the fair haired young man sighing heavily before agreeing, “Yeah, okay...”

 

  “Why won’t they let me help?” Yona whined in the kitchen as Yoon rummaged around in the cabinets. “I’m not stupid! I’ll be careful!”

  Yoon blew his hair out of his face with a huff of frustration as he emerged from the depths of one of the cupboards, scowling as he realized that his favorite measuring cup was missing. “It’s not a matter of your intelligence, Yona-“ his eyes scanned the sink, realizing that it didn’t contain the glass vessel, either. “It’s a matter of you being too impulsive and those dumbass frat guys being too reckless.”

  She frowned as she stared down into her cup of tea, both Hak and Jae Ha having left for their morning classes already while Zeno and Shin-Ah had headed out not long afterwards. Kija was upstairs getting dressed so that he could walk her onto campus, everyone continuing to insist upon having someone accompany her at all times until they could be certain of her safety.

  She appreciated their concern for her well being, she truly did, but it was frustrating to be so helpless, to be considered a liability when she wanted nothing more than to prove herself capable of handling herself. She didn’t want to have to rely on her housemates so thoroughly when she still didn’t know them all that well. It was sort of embarrassing to be considered so weak.

  Yoon hissed and spit out a rather colorful expletive that had even Yona’s eyes widening in shock. He crossed his arms and growled out that he was going to have to make a run to the cooking supply store in the next town over that afternoon, stomping over to where his bag rested upon the countertop while growling out that he had no idea where everything had disappeared to.

 

 

 

 

  Coming to the edge of the turret, Yona’s eyes slid up the steep slope, towards the ironwork upon the ridge of the tall roof high above her. The chimney was just on the other side, the brickwork and top of the column peeking at her over the summit as Ao scampered ever higher. 

  _She didn’t want to do this. She was scared. She hated this. She wanted to turn back._

She took in a deep rattling breath and fell to her hands and knees, beginning her ascension slowly while trying not to focus on her fear of heights as the wind whipped red strands across her line of vision, her hair catching and clinging to the moisture upon her cheeks as tears continued to stream down her face, fallng onto her hands. She focused upon the rough feeling of the shingles beneath her palm instead, taking her time and fighting against the shaking in her knees as she began to crawl.

 

  Jae Ha heard the little bell over the door of the art supplies shop jingling as it closed behind him, pausing to adjust the strap of his bag over his chest after having placed the bag of pencils and two new rulers in beside his sketchbook and two of his textbooks. The wind was beginning to pick up a little, blowing a few stray leaves across the pavement before him as he shoved his hands into his pockets and started out at a leisurely pace back to the house. He had a few hours to spare before his shift at the bar that evening and wondered if maybe he could persuade one of his housemates to do something entertaining until then.

  He made it to the end of the sidewalk, turning his head both ways to check for traffic before crossing the street. His mind wandered as his feet carried him in the direction of the fraternity, recalling that Hak was working at the training center until eight, and how both Kija and Shin-Ah would be at the university library so that the mathematician could tutor the veterinary student in peace and quiet.

  He couldn’t recall whether or not Zeno would be busy or if Yoon had more plans to practice his hand at the more difficult pastries that he’d been struggling with lately and winced guiltily at the reminder to replace the glass measuring cup that he’d accidentally broken yesterday while putting away dishes. It was a harmless mistake, but an accident that could potentially bring about the wrath of the young boy without a confession followed by a sincere and heartfelt apology from the architect student.

  Rounding the corner of their street, Jae Ha tilted his head back to gaze up towards the colorful leaves that were beginning to fall from the trees that lined their block, appreciating their colors and rich hues as he reached the edge of the front walk. He wondered if he was the first one home, for once, when a flash of crimson from above caught his eye.

  He abruptly froze, mouth open and indigo eyes widening as his gaze took in the sight of Yona up on the rooftop, shock having rendered him temporarily immobile as he watched her petite frame climbing slowly and steadily higher as she followed Ao up to the ridge. He almost shouted out to her then thought better of it, knowing that he could potentially cause her to lose her focus and slip, his stomach clenching tightly at the thought.

  Jae Ha’s heart hammered loudly in his chest as his eyes finally broke away from her tiny frame in order to glance around wildly, hands pulling the strap of his bag up and over his head with fumbling movements, dropping it to the ground beside him as he broke into a desperate run, his feet carrying him around to the back of the house in his haste. His mind ordered him to take the fastest route to her, the way that his legs knew best.

  Shucking off his black blazer and tossing aside, Jae Ha scaled the old drainpipe up to he and Hak’s room with ease, nimble limbs and lean muscles pulling him up onto their window ledge with practiced movements. The architect student crouched and braced his feet against the wood, leaping onto the small roof over the entrance of the kitchen, his footwork nimble as he crossed the surface, reaching the lattice work on the opposite side and climbing further up to the rooftop above.

  The soles of his brown leather shoes slid twice along the shingles as he reached a dormer, scaling over it and watching his footing while crossing over various vent pipes. He was nearing the ridge slowly, movements careful, the scrollwork of the iron railing coming into view at last. Knowing that Yona must be on the other side, he gave his head a small shake to free his vision from the stray green strands that had worked their way free from his low ponytail and blown across his forehead, approaching the chimney and cursing under his breath for his choice in wardrobe that morning.

  To be fair, though, he hadn’t exactly been expecting to be scaling any tall buildings when he’d gotten dressed before breakfast. His fingers clutched at the tar shingles as he slipped slightly once more, clenching his teeth and swallowed any lingering apprehension for his own safety.

  All that mattered was Yona.

 

  Yona froze as she clenched her eyes tightly shut, tears streaming down her cheeks at the second close call she’d barely managed to escape. Her old and worn sneakers didn’t exactly have the best traction against the shingles, having nearly lost her footing yet again, but it was far too late to turn back now.

  Lifting her head at the small squeaking sound above her, she sighed with relief to see Ao a little over a foot away from her, beady little black eyes watching her as his fluffy tail swished from side to side. Yona reached out for him tentatively, trying to keep her voice calm and steady as she begged Shin-Ah’s pet to come to her, watery gaze watching the little squirrel’s whiskers twitch as he regarded her outstretched hand.

  She waited, lip trembling slightly as her muscles shook, the seconds ticking by agonizingly slowly as Ao warily moved a little closer to her. Every inch felt like a victory, relief beginning to invade her tense frame. Her fingers dug into the rough surface beneath her palm as she forced herself to continue to remain calm, to focus only on the little animal as it took another few steps closer.

  She fought the urge to cry out in joy as the little squirrel finally scampered up her arm, reaching for the hood of her sweatshirt and nuzzling himself in the space like he always did whenever she would hunker down at her desk and study at night. He squeaked and chirped at her as he snuggled in tightly, making himself comfortable as she released a broken sob of a laugh. She turned her head ever so slightly to ensure that he was safely tucked away and froze as her gaze registered just how high up she’d traveled.

  She froze and felt her vision swim. How was she going to get back down?

  “Yona!”

  Amethyst eyes widened in surprise, the red-haired girl tilting her head back sharply to see Jae Ha at the ridge, carefully scaling over the iron railing and making his way down to her. She adjusted her stance, made to reach out to him, the rough grit of the shingles digging into her knees slightly muted thanks to the denim of her jeans, getting her footing beneath her-

  She slipped.

 

  Jae Ha roared her name as he slid down the valley of the sloping roof opposite of her as she fell, his hand shooting out to wrap around her wrist, gripping her tightly, his heels bracing them both as he dug them into the shingles and grit his teeth.

  One of her feet hung over the edge of the gutter before coming to an abrupt halt, Jae Ha calling out her name through panting breaths before slowly pulling her up and towards him so that he could wrap an arm around her tightly. He held her firmly against his chest while both fought to calm their racing hearts and slow their frantic breathing.

  A little squeak met his ears as Ao poked his head out of the hood of Yona’s sweatshirt, nose twitching as Jae Ha stared at the tiny little beast who had caused them both so much trouble.

  He sighed in relief as Yona trembled against him, her hands clutching the thin material of his light grey v-necked t-shirt in her tight grasp. “Well,” he attempted to joke lightly, to relieve the pressure coiling tightly deep within his chest, eyes scanning the scenery below them briefly to make certain that they weren’t going to be surprisingly spotted by one of the others and about to get the scolding of their lives. “You picked one helluva place to nearly lose your life, Yona dear,” he chuckled lightly as she whined at him in response. “I mean, where else are you gonna find a view like this?”

 

  He was kind enough to wait until they’d safely made it back inside of her bedroom before giving her an earful.

  “Why would you do something so reckless?” he practically roared as he turned back around to face her, having slammed her window shut before locking it tightly. The lingering adrenaline coursing through his veins was guiding his actions and he was just along for the ride, apparently. He was normally so in control of his emotions, but something about her caused him to do things that he normally wouldn’t.

  Yona looked so small from where she sat upon the floor in a crumpled heap, her knees having given out beneath her within seconds of her feet reaching solid and safe ground. Ao scampered out of her hood and seated himself in her lap, rolling around merrily, filled with energy after having gained some fresh air and the ability to stretch his legs outside.

  Jae Ha took a deep breath to control himself and knelt before her upon the floor, his hands gripping her shoulders as he ducked his head in an attempt to make eye contact with her. “Yona,” he murmured at the sight of her tears, feeling contrite for having raised his voice at her. “What were you _thinking_?”

  She sobbed at the disappointment in her tone and bit her lip to cut the noise off, pressing the back of her still trembling hand to her mouth as she took shuddering breaths to try and get herself under control. Jae Ha’s hands cupped her face gently, thumbs wiping away the moisture trailing down her cheeks as he lifted her head up so that he could see her better. “I-I-I just-“

  Indigo eyes pulsed wider at the sight of her. She looked so very young before him and he had to remind himself that she was, that she was still just a girl who had her whole life ahead of her, her previously sheltered one slowly being shed from her in layers with each passing day. It wasn’t that she did impulsive things on purpose; she’d just been held back and away from life’s experiences unknowingly. She was so eager to make her own way in this world, to prove herself to everyone that she could do anything that she put her mind to.

  She sniffled, her small hands landing gently upon his wrists, nails digging into the leather of his bracelets as she whimpered, “I-I didn’t want anything to happen to Ao...” Her breath shuddered and she closed her eyes, fresh tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. “I- I didn’t want... Shin-Ah to...”

  Jae Ha’s frown softened, his tense frame loosening as he leaned forward to press his forehead against hers, her warm breath ghosting across his skin as he closed his eyes as well, thumbs continuing to stroke her skin in soothing movements. “Is it that painful,” he murmured softly, recalling Hak’s face after he’d informed him that her father had passed away last year. “To lose someone?”

  She nodded silently, her breath still hiccuping.

  Jae Ha smiled wryly before pulling her into him in a hug, one hand landing upon the back of her head, fingers winding through wind-blown strands as she sobbed out an apology for worrying him. He murmured to her, promised that it was alright, shushed her gently as the minutes ticked slowly by, a small part of his soul aching with the knowledge that she’d only done what she’d thought necessary in order to prevent Shin-Ah from experiencing the grief that accompanied loss.

  She was so very incredible and Jae Ha swore that he could feel the thread that connected him to her tightening and drawing them even closer.

 

  Both agreed to keep the deadly mishap a secret, not willing to face the wrath of the others for their reckless actions, let alone have to explain to Yoon as to why they’d gone around the house and locked all of the windows tightly that afternoon, leaving little notes upon everyone’s beds to keep them tightly closed, lest Ao get out.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I always appreciate feedback, so if you have a moment, feel free to leave a comment if you’d like!
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr for additional interaction and to be able to request any prompts! :)


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